by Marlon Bernardino
THE highly anticipated match between topranked Filipino chess player Grandmaster Rogelio "Joey" Antonio Jr. and International Coach-Fide Master Dino Ballecer dubbed Mobile Chess Club Philippines Face Off Series” gets underway tonight (January 6, 2021), starting at 7 p.m. at the lichess.org.

“It’s anybody’s ball game,” said New York based Butch Ramos Meliton.
“I’m ready. It’s a big challenge for me, but I will do my very best,"said the 58-year-old Antonio, the 2017 World Senior Chess Championship runner-up in Acqui Terme, Italy.
“I feel honored to be invited to play against one of the best chess player in the country and I promise to play my best,” said the Singapore based Ballecer, who hails from Agoo, La Union.
A race-to-10, chess affair draw is not counted they will fight it out at 2 minutes plus one minute increment time control format in this P10,000 total pot prize online blitz chess tournament.
The winner will receive P6,000 while the loser will pocket P4,000.
The Calapan, Oriental Mindoro native Antonio, 13-time Philippine Open Champion, lost to fellow Grandmaster Darwin Laylo, 15-13, in the first-ever P20,000 winner-take-all match online blitz chess tournament last June 7, 2020, backed up by Europe gaming consultant and sportsman Kim Zafra, organized by Bayanihan Chess Club.-Marlon Bernardino-
A file photo during the 2017 World Senior Chess Championship in Acqui Terme, Italy.
from left to right: Grandmaster Rogelio "Joey" Antonio Jr. of the Philippines (2nd place), Grandmaster Julio  Granda Zuñiga of Peru (Champion), Grandmaster Eric Prie of France (3rd place). CTTO