LEGAZPI CITY: A 9-year-old boy from Barangay Busac in Oas, Albay is starting to make a name for himself in the strategic game of chess.
Bince Rafael Operiano, a Grade 3 student from San Isidro Elementary School, recently claimed a gold medal in the under-10 years old division 2022 Eastern Asia Youth Chess Championship in Bangkok, Thailand against 28 other competitors from the different Asian nations.
Despite lacking financial means, Bince’s parents supported his passion and love for chess. His mother, Rosemary Roblico-Operiano, recalled that Bince began forming his enthusiasm for chess from a karton (cardboard) chessboard they bought for P50 when he was 4 years old.
“We didn’t have a television nor cellphone at home; it happened to be rainy season when we went home to Bicol after our vacation from my hometown, also a poor village in Negros Occidental. My two…
