Philippines gets wildcard berth to 2021 chess world cup

MANILA, Philippines – At least one Filipino will get to play in the FIDE World Cup 2021 set late this year in Minsk, Belarus.

This after the Philippines received one of the 100 seats given by FIDE, which recently increased the number of participants to 206 from 128 in past editions in the biennial event that awards a couple of berths to the Candidates Matches — a precursor to the World Championship.

“Top 100 countries all over the world were given wildcard seats and we will give that one spot to our national champion this year,” said National Chess Federation of the Philippines executive director Cliburn Orbe Thursday.

Orbe said the national championship would be set before the June 5 deadline set by FIDE for the submission of entries.

It is expected to draw the best of the best in the country, including United States-based Grandmasters Mark Paragua, Banjo Barcenilla, Julio Catalino Sadorra, Oliver Barbosa and Richard Bitoon.

GMs Joey Antonio, John Paul Gomez, Darwin Laylo and possibly Eugene Torre plus top International Masters Paulo Bersamina, Daniel Quizon, Jan Emmanuel Garcia and Haridas Pascua are also expected to see action.

Apart from the automatic seeding, Filipinos can also qualify via the Continental qualifying tournaments where the likes of Wesley So, Paragua, Antonio, Sadorra, Laylo and IM Ronald Dableo have done to advance to the World Cup in the past stagings.

They will battle not just for a seat in the World Cup but also an ensured first round purse worth US$3,750, or a whopping P187,500.

A total cash pot amounting to US$1,892,500 (P94 million) is at stake with the US$110,000 (P5.5 million) going to the champion.