SPOTS in the national team seeing action in the 45th World Chess Olympiad in Budapest, Hungary this year and huge cash prizes will be at stake in the Philippine National Open Chess Championships that unfurled yesterday at the Marikina Community Convention Center.
Fourteen of the country’s top woodpushers, headed by Grandmasters Darwin Laylo, John Paul Gomez and Joey Antonio and Woman GM Janelle Mae Frayna, will spearhead the strong 14-player field in the tournament dubbed “The Battle of Grandmasters and presented by host city Rep. Maan Teodoro and Mayor Marcy Teodoro.
International Masters Jem Garcia, Pau Bersamina, Daniel Quizon and Barlo Nadera, FIDE Master Mark Jay Bacojo and Christian Gian Karlo Arca and Woman IM Marie Antoinette San Diego are also seeing action along with Vince Angelo Medina, John Jerish Velarde and Samson Cjiu Chin Lim.
The top three finishers in this 13-round meet will represent the country in the 45th World Chess set Sept. 10 to 23 in Budapest and receive cool purses worth P120,000, P70,000 and P50,000, respectively, courtesy of Marikina City, NCFP chairman president Prospero Pichay, Jr., POC president Abraham Tolentino, PSC chair Richard Bachmann, the Eugene Torre Chess Foundation, Pande and Amerikana’s Jundio Salvador.
The 14-year-old Arca is also expected to draw some of the attention after the Panabo, Davao del Norte-born and Dasamarinas-based chesser topped the World Youth blitz in Italy last month.
After just one round yesterday, there will be two games each today and tomorrow before the event takes a New Year break.
Play resumes with two rounds on Jan. 3 next year and two rounds the next day, a round Jan. 5, back to two Jan. 6 and the 13th and final round on Jan. 7.
The participants came from various locations across the country like Mindoro, Laguna, Cavite, Bicol, Cebu, Malabon and Bulacan, highlighting the nationwide scope of this prestigious tournament.