Chess masters face acid test

The country’s chess masters mix it up with upcoming players all over the country when the National Chess Championships get underway March 24 at the Center Mall of the Greenhills Shopping Center in San Juan, Metro Manila.

Coming on the heels of the National Inter-Cities and Municipalities Chess Team Championship, the two-week-long tournament organized by the National Chess Federation of the Philippines (NCFP) will gather the country’s three GMs — Eugene Torre, Joey Antonio and Bong Villamayor — and a host of international masters and national masters, together with practically hundreds of chess players from the country’s 16 regions for the top individual cash prize of P120,000.

Project director and NCFP honorary chairman Matias Defensor said the total cash pot could reach as much as P750,000, with cash prizes to be scaled down to the 50th placer for the men’s division and up to the 30th placer on the women’s side.

The other major prizes are P70,000 for the runner-up, P45,000 for third, P35,000 for fourth, P30,000 fifth, P25,000 sixth, P20,000 seventh, P19,000 eighth, P18,000 ninth, P17,000 10th P16,000, 11th and P15,000 12th.

A total cash prize of P130,000 is guaranteed to the 10th to 50th placers in the eliminations. Registration fee is P200 for an untitled participant and P100 for the national masters. The registration fee is waived for GMs and IMs.

Defensor said he expects 300 to 500 chess players to register for the tournament.

"This is our most ambitious project so far in the NCFP. We’re doing this not only for our top players but especially for those who would want to further hone their skills, lalong-lalo na doon sa mga players na galing pa sa malalayong probinsiya," said GM Torre, who is also the NCFP president.

The event also serves as a qualifying tournament for the Asian Zonal Championship which will be hosted by the country on April 28. The top five qualifiers in the men’s division and the top four finishers in the women’s side will qualify for the Zonal, where the three GMs are seeded.

The elimination round will be an 11-round, Swiss system affair while the champion round, to be held April 2-11, will be a single-round robin. The venue for the championship round will be announced later.

The top nine players after the elimination round will join the three GMs in the finals in the men’s side, while the top nine women players will qualify for the championship round.

The games schedule will be from 9 a.m. — 1 p.m. and from 4 p.m. — 8 p.m., on days with two games; and 1 p.m. — 5 p.m. on days with a one-game schedule.

Tournament arbiter will be international arbiter Gene Poliarco.

Interested parties may register starting today, at the NCFP office at the second floor, Richmack Bldg., No. 72 Mindanao Avenue, or call Gene Poliarco/WNM Cristine Mariano at tels. 453-2161 or 453-2165. Deadline for registration is March 23.