A LOT of people say playing chess sharpens the mind. It exercises the brain and can improve cognitive health and memory.

When Domingo Santos tells you that, it is hard not to believe.

After all, Tatay Domeng, as he is fondly called in chess circles, is turning 97 on May 4, making him jedi-like in the chess world.

Born in 1928, Tatay Domeng still actively plays chess. He frequently visits chess hubs in Marikina City, particularly in Barangay Santo Niño, waiting for fellow enthusiasts to indulge him in a friendly game.

He would not always win but enjoys the challenge and the tactical exchange.

Tatay Domeng said chess was not his first love.

"I used to play softball and baseball when I was younger," Sa ntos said in Filipino.

"After the war, I got interested in chess. So I asked a friend of mine to teach me how to play chess."

Right away, Tatay Domeng said he fell in love with the game and after a month, he was already winning over his mentor friend.

"But I'm not that good of a chess player," he said with a smile.

"I just like playing chess, it keeps me alert and sharp. I have never stopped playing since then."

True, no one wins the game by resigning.

So, is playing chess the secret of his longevity?

"Yes," he said.

"That and my profound faith in God."

A devout Catholic, Santos said he never forgets to thank the Almighty every waking day of his life.

"I reached this age because of Him," said Santos, the oldest active chess player in Marikina and probably in the entire country today.

"A lot of my friends are actually excited that in three years, I will be 100, you know, the benefits from the government. But me, I don't see it that way. If I reach 100, it is because of Him and not because I want to get that P100,000 incentive."

In the middle of the interview with The Manila Times, Tatay Domeng's friend and favorite chess sparmate walked in.

"Do you want to play?" he said.

"Sure, why not?" Santos answered. "But I'm in the middle of an interview."

"No problem," he said.

So they played.

Tatay Domeng's chess buddy is 77-year-old Carlos Luna, aka Caloy, who fondly introduces himself as "apo sa tuhod (great grandson)" of Antonio and Juan Luna.

Caloy explained while playing chess with Tatay Domeng.

"There are seven siblings. The eldest is Jose Luna. And then there's Juan Luna, the great painter, [and] Antonio Luna, the general who is the youngest. Then Joaquin Luna, who was a senator, and another brother Manuel, and sisters Numeriana and Remedios," he said.

"I'm a direct descendant of the eldest, Jose Luna, whose wife Maxima is from Abra."

Santos and Luna joined the "March to Remember" rapid chess tournament last March 8 in Marikina.

The tournament was organized by the Marikina Chess Association under the leadership of its president, Joel Gaudia, and sponsored by Sen. Aquilino Pimentel III, who is also a chess enthusiast and a Marikina resident.

The one-day tournament was open to all residents of the city. There was no entry fee, and there were prizes up to the 50th placer in the Swiss system format tournament.

Luna finished with 3.0 points in seven rounds. Not bad for a septuagenarian.

Santos, on the other hand, scored only one point.

"What can you expect? I'm old," Santos said with a smile.