CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY — Fresh from his World Chess Olympiad debut as head of the Philippine delegation in Samarkand, Uzbekistan last September, Misamis Occidental Gov. Henry Oaminal Sr. is back as the generous host of big-time chess competitions in Mindanao. The chess-loving governor will kick off two of the country’s three international chess events this year to be successively held at the Asenso Misamis Occidental Recreation and Adventure Park (Amorap) in Sinacaban, Misamis Occidental from Nov. 2 to 17. “Controversies are abound surrounding Philippine chess that are beyond anybody’s control. But the good governor has chosen to act on dispatch by sustaining what he soundly started in Northern Mindanao that will greatly benefit local chess development. In his leadership, Oaminal always believes that action speaks louder than words,” tournament organizer Rey Urbiztondo told The Manila Times. First to unwrap is the 7th Asean Individual Chess Championships from Nov. 2 to 10, followed by the Misamis Occidental Philippine International Championship from Nov. 10 to 17. The third international event dubbed as “AQ Prime International Open Chess Championship” is slated on Nov. 17 to 25 in Quezon City. Cagayan de Oro City pride Ruelle Canino and Mark Jay Bacojo from Santa Rosa, Laguna, who both gained their outright International Master titles from the 6th edition of the Asean+ chess last year in Ozamiz, will be back in their ambitious quest not only to rule the tournament but also to earn grandmaster titles. Also representing the Philippines in the tournament are International Masters Emmanuel Garcia, Paulo Bersamina, Michael Concio Jr. and Christian Gian Karlo Arca and FIDE Master Alekhine Nouri. Also in the list are their female counterparts Woman International Master Jan Jodilyn Fronda, Woman Fide Master Shania Mae Mendoza, Woman National Master Mhage Sebastian, and Janelle Mae Frayna, the country’s lone woman chess grandmaster. Reigning men’s champion Grandmaster V.S. Raahul from India will not be returning to Ozamiz to defend the crown. In Raahul’s place is the tournament top seed is Russian super GM Evgeny Romanov whose FIDE ratings peaked to 2662  in June 2013. Romanov will be heading to the province of Misamis Occidental after his triumphant finish in the Montenegro Open Mediterranean Championship recently. Last year,  Romanov dominated the 22nd Bangkok Chess Club Championship, thus making him among the early 7th Asean title favorites in the company of Filipino GMs Daniel Quizon and Darwin Laylo and Vietnamese GM Duc Hoa Nguyen. Meanwhile, the 18-year-old Canino’s hunt for a direct GM title will be put to test in a strong field laced by WGMs in Frayna and foreign rivals Nguyen Thi Mai Hung and Hoang Thi Bao Tram of Vietnam, and Altan-Ulzii Enkhtuul of Mongolia. Woman International Master Evgenija Ovod, who spoiled the GM dream of fellow Russian Anna Shurova last year, will also be back to defend her Asean throne in this long tourney to be supervised by the National Chess Federation of the Philippines spearheaded by NCFP executive director GM Jayson Gonzales and International Arbiter Reden Cruz.