GMA Cup begins; rich purse staked

The first President Arroyo Cup Open and Chess Challenge International Championship gets going today with fireworks expected to erupt right in the first round among the country’s leading masters and some of the world’s top rated players.

Mark Paragua heads the hosts’ bid along with fellow grandmasters Eugene Torre, Rogelio Antonio Jr., Nelson Mariano II and Bong Villamayor while a crack Chinese squad, led by Zhang Pengxiang, leads the foreign challenge in the nine-round Swiss system tournament at the Duty Free Fiesta Mall in Parañaque.

President Arroyo, taking a break from her hectic schedule, and National Chess Federation of the Phils. president and Rep. Prospero Pichay will make the ceremonial moves kicking off the seven-day tournament at 3 p.m. with Round One to commence at 3:30 p.m.

The players’ meeting will be held at 10 a.m.

The $30,000 event, sanctioned by FIDE, is the biggest tournament staged here in recent years where the Filipino chessers are hoping to perform creditably not only to contend for the top $6,000 purse but also boost their respective Elo ratings.

Pengxiang, toting an Elo rating of 2636, will be joined by fellow Chinese GMs Bu Xiangzhi, Wang Yue, Ye Jiangchuan, Ni Hua and Zhang Zhong, and IMs Wang Rui, Zhou Weigi and Wang Li in the event organized by the National Chess Federation of the Phils. and sponsored by Duty Free Phils., headed by general manager Michael Kho.

American GM Alexander Onishuk is the highest rated with a 2668 rating.

The event also serves as a fitting tournament for IMs Darwin Laylo and Ronald Dableo and Jedara Docena, who are now in the thick of preparations for their stint in the Asian Games in Doha, Qatar next month.

Also in the fold are veteran GMs Utut Adianto and Edhi Handoko of Indonesiam, GM Varushan Akobian of the US, Russian GM Vladimir Belov, IM Tahir Vakhidov of Uzbekistan and Victor Michalevski of Israel.

The other RP bets are IMs Oliver Dimakiling, Richard Bitoon, Idelfonso Datu, Yves Ranola, Oliver Barbosa, Wesley So, Rolando Nolte, John Paul Gomez, Jayson Gonzales, Chito Garma and Petronio Roca and female players Shercila Cua, Beverly Mendoza, Cristine Rose Mariano and Catherine Pereña.

The runner-up will get $4,000 while the third placer will get $3,000. Cash prizes will also be given to the fourth to 15th placers while the top three Filipino players, the top three women and the top three junior participants will also receive cash prizes.