18 teams vie in Asian Cities-Dubai chess

MANILA, Philippines - The Asian Cities Chess Team Championships-Dubai Cup gets going tomorrow with at least 15 foreign teams, led by Shanghai City, vying in the  event at the Tagaytay International Convention Center.

Tagaytay, through Rep. Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino, also the Fide Asian Zone 3.3 president, has ensured the successful staging of the 9-round Swiss system event that also drew strong teams from Baghdad, Iraq, and Abu Dhabi, UAE.

Shanghai, to be led by GM Zhou Jianchao, is set to arrive today along with the rest of the foreign contingent.

Also fielding teams are Wuxi, China, led by GM Wei Yi; Ulaanbaatar (Mongolia), led by GM Gundavaa Bayarsaikhan; Baghdad (Iraq), Sharjaj (UAE), Shah Alam (Malaysia), Erdenet (Mongolia), Kuwait, Bs Begawan (Brunei), Singapore, Seoul (South Korea), Dubai (UAE), Taipei (Taiwan) and Sri Lanka. 

Tolentino said the Tagaytay city council headed by his wife and mayor, Dr. Agnes Tolentino, made sure that the delegates will have a pleasant stay in the scenic and breezy city. 

As host city, Tagaytay will be fielding the maximum of three teams.

An all-GM team composed of Oliver Barbosa, Mark Paragua, John Paul Gomez and Darwin Laylo will make up the first team with the fifth player yet to be named, according to National Chess Federation of the Philippines executive director GM Jayson Gonzales.

Veteran GMs Joey Antonio and Eugene Torre, International Masters Rolando Nolte and Jan Emmanuel Garcia and a yet to be named fifth player will comprised the second team.

Round One will be held Sunday afternoon after a short opening ceremony.

The champion team will get $3,000 aside from the Dubai Cup, while the second and third placed teams will receive $2,000 and $1,000, respectively.