Chess player seeks white knights to sponsor trip

A local chess leader is set to represent Canada on the world stage this summer, and he is asking the community to help him get there.

Gilbert Perez, a retired doctor originally from the Philippines and now based in Brandon, will compete at the 25th IPCA World Individual Chess Championship in Torrevieja, Spain, from June 1 to 13. The international over-the-board tournament brings together players with physical disabilities from around the world.

Perez is currently the only confirmed representative from Manitoba and possibly the only Canadian competing in his category.

“I feel great to receive the invitation last month,” Perez told the Sun. “I had several invitations before — from India and Israel — but I didn’t go. Now I’m planning to.”

Perez, who serves as a director with the Manitoba Chess Association, is a director with the Brandon Knights Chess Club. He has been playing chess since he was 10 years old.

This will mark the third time he has represented Canada at an international event for players with disabilities. In 2020, he competed online in a global tournament that featured 245 participants, finishing around 60th place. He also represented Canada in another online event in 2021.

But unlike those competitions, the 2026 championship in Spain will be played in person.

The opportunity, however, comes with high costs.

Perez estimates he will need approximately $5,000 to cover airfare, hotel accommodation and registration fees. The organizers do not cover expenses, and he said national funding support is limited.

“They are only supporting the Olympiad,” he said. “Funding for this specific event is not available through national channels.

Perez is now appealing to individuals, businesses and organizations in Brandon and across Westman to help sponsor his trip.

“If they can help me to be part of this international physical disability chess tournament,” he said, “I would like to promote chess, not only for normal persons but especially for persons with disability.”

He said his participation could help grow interest in adaptive chess programming in Brandon and throughout Manitoba, creating more inclusive opportunities for players with disabilities.

Perez is also offering sponsorship visibility for companies willing to support him, including wearing branded shirts or logos during the tournament to promote local businesses internationally.

“I will take their names along,” he said. Those interested in supporting Perez can reach him by email at bongperez_1118@yahoo.com or by phone at 204-441-0725.

For Perez, the journey to Spain represents more than personal achievement — it is a chance “to raise Manitoba’s profile in the global chess community” while championing inclusivity in the game he has loved for decades.

» aodutola@brandonsun.com

» X: @AbiolaOdutola