Aklan hosts inter-province chess championship
KALIBO, Aklan — The 2010 National Inter-Province Chess Team Championship gets underway at the Gov. Corazon L. Cabagnot Tourism Center in Barangay Old Buswang on April 11 to 15.
As much as P300,000 in cash prizes are at stake in the inter-province annual chess event organized by the National Chess Federation of the Philippines (NCFP) under its president Prospero “Butch” Pichay Jr. in cooperation with the provincial government of Aklan under the leadership of Aklan Governor Carlito Marquez.
The nine round Swiss-system tournament is open to all chess teams representing the different provinces nationwide. Each team is composed of five players as maximum or four players as minimum. A team may opt to field only 1 master or titled players (GM, IM, FM or NM) to play on the top board.
The champion will earn the lion’s share of P100,000, trophy and gold medals. The runner-up will pocket P70,000, trophy and silver medals and the third placer will receive P50,000, trophy and silver medals. The fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh and eighth placers will receive P30,000, P20,000, P10,000, P9,000 and P8,000, respectively.
Also getting cash prizes are the ninth placer with P7,000 and the 10th placer will be given P6,000. For individual awards, the player who obtains the best individual results (highest percentage) on his respective board assignment is declared Best Board Player where Board 1 to 4 players must play at least 7 games to qualify for the Best Board Player Award and the Board 5 player must play at least 5 games to qualify for the Best Board 5 Player Award.
Provincial Sports Coordinator and National Master Wilfredo Neri said top national woopushers and close to 100 players from all over the country will be seeing action in the five-day competition.
Aklan province, he added, is hosting this year’s chess team championship after the successful hosting of the 2009 National Age-Group Championship last April.
NCFP executive and events director Willie Abalos will be the tournament director. (Boy Ryan B. Zabal)
