A senior high school student who plays for the International School Manila chess team.

“There is an immense capacity for growth with 10^120 possible chess games, a number even greater than that of atoms in the universe. 

Playing chess ensures that I continually challenge myself, while exploring new ideas and concepts.”

He loves chess because of its complexity. He founded KBO because he believes that in life, as in chess, PROBLEMS may come but so do SOLUTIONS.

He believes that chess is not only a source of empowerment and opportunity for the Filipino youth, but also a means to develop creativity in solving real world problems and resilience in facing challenges, while having fun. Due to the lack of resources in a third world country, the children that could benefit the most from chess do not have access to the game.

Through KBO, he embraces this important challenge and makes a bold move to implement a self-sustaining chess club in every school, focusing on the underprivileged communities in the Philippines.

He learned to play chess when he was 6 years old, during the pandemic.  He had been wanting to learn for some time and being in quarantine was the perfect opportunity for his dad to teach him. 

Since then, he has been training and playing competitively in national tournaments.  David’s favorite chess player is Mikhail Tal because he is an aggressive player and often makes brilliant sacrifices.  He also dreams of becoming a Grandmaster someday. 

When he is not playing chess, Davis loves to read books, write his own comic books, and play Super Mario video games.  He is also a green belt in Karate and has finished his 1st triathlon and aquathlon in the past 2 years.   He also likes to play on the beach when he is on family vacations. 

When asked why he volunteers for KBO – “I like to help people and I want the world of chess to grow more. It’s also a fun experience to help out and teach kids how to play chess. I look forward to every KBO meeting.”

Dexter Magalong has been in government service for 18 years and is currently Teacher 2 at Aguinaldo Elementary School, Quezon City.

He is continuing his Masters Degree, Major in Administration and Supervision at EARIST Manila. He was a consistent chess player during elementary, secondary and college years.

He channels his passion in chess, teaching and service through the KBO programs, helping underprivileged kids hone their skills.

Anginette Aguinaldo graduated Interior Design in PSID and DLSU-College of St. Benilde.  She is also licensed in Education from Assumption Makati and has taught children in various preschools. It was her love for children and teaching that gravitated her towards service in KBO.

She said, “I feel nostalgic seeing the KBO coaches in action and it brings me great satisfaction when beginners turn into competitive players."

Gavin is a growing chess player, coach, marketer, and entrepreneur who graduated from the Ateneo de Manila University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Management, specialization in Enterprise Development. He played chess for the school's team in the UAAP, winning the Rookie of the Year award in 2017 and serving as captain for three years.

Currently coaching the International School Manila Chess Team, Gavin is also a business owner and digital marketer known for his strategic thinking. He earned the title of FIDE Arena Grandmaster in 2020. Gavin loves the strategic nature of chess and believes it is a universal language that brings people together.

He is passionate about giving back to the community and coaching in KBO, an organization with strong advocacies that he believes is a good avenue to share his God-given gifts with others.

Francis is a 4th Grader at Discovery Elementary School in California. His favorite subject is Math. He likes to play chess, watch Minecraft videos, go to the beach and read comic books. He likes chess because it is strategic, fun and challenging. It's a sport that can be considered as a profession. He likes being a part of KBO because he learns new chess facts and gets to share it when he writes. 

Franchesca, also known as Francene, is currently a graduating Communication Arts major and Psychology minor in De La Salle University - Manila.

She has always loved creating art and telling stories most especially through photography, documentary filmmaking, and video production; and has been fusing this passion with her love for people—who she believes have a myriad of wonderful stories worth sharing.

Because of this constant search for human wonders, she decided to cover a KBO event in December 2022 coming upon the organization for a Photojournalism class assignment. That one coverage exposed her to the unfeigned spirit of volunteerism that KBO embodies and its inspiring advocacy to spread creativity, resilience, and good sportsmanship through accessible chess programs—a wonderful story that serves as a reminder of our humanity and one that is indeed worth capturing.

Jonathan or JT is a chess player and chess coach from Marikina who graduated with a degree in BSBA-Operations Management with experience in sales. He competed in the NCAA as a varsity chess player for Jose Rizal University winning gold medals both in NAASCU and SCUAA. He also earned the title Athlete of the Year at Sto. Niño High School (2014-2015).

He joined KBO as a volunteer because of its dedication to bridge educational and social gaps through chess which resonated with his own personal experience, giving underprivileged children the opportunity to excel. He also wanted to network with other people dedicated to positive social change through chess. He also loves playing basketball.

Abcedy Labayne is a graduating BS Mathematics student in University of the Philippines, Los Banos. He was actively participating in chess tournaments in his elementary and high school student life. Currently, he plays chess casually, yet he will always have an open heart in teaching chess.

He believes that chess is not just a sport, but something that could change someone’s life.

With the right amount of dedication and support, becoming a great chess player could open different opportunities.

Sonny Labayne graduated with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Industrial Education from Marikina Polytechnic College, and currently teaches Technical Drafting at Marikina Science High School. He formerly taught art at International School Manila and Beacon International School, and Industrial Drafting at Don Bosco Technical College. 

He was formerly the Chess Coach at International School Manila from 2006 to 2020 and prior to this, at Don Bosco. 

He loves chess because it “improves your ability to calculate, enhances visualization skill, and develops forward-planning with patience.”

He firmly believes in KBO because it “gives the underprivileged children a chance to learn chess, to develop brotherhood with other players, and to gain resilience in life - no matter how hard the situations would be, they are always looking forward to the bright side of it.”

Apart from loving chess, he is also a jiu-jitsu enthusiast.

Danny Basobas is a FIDE Arbiter and a rated player. Now retired and based in Melbourne, Australia, he has been trying to popularize chess in his community for about 9 years now. He believes Chess has the power to transform attitudes and discipline the mind to think.

He said, “It is an adventure of self-discovery where you uncover your strengths and weaknesses while meeting amazing people along the way. It keeps my feeble mind busy.”

He graduated from the University of the Philippines in Diliman and was a member of the Alpha Phi Omega fraternity.

His life took him to a whirlwind of experiences. He once worked in an environmental agency, rural development and even became a tradesman. In-between, he enjoyed traveling to many countries.

“If I can only teach chess to one or two kids then my life would be meaningful. Simple. Nothing fancy.”; this is his life’s mission.