Like in the past Shell chess tournaments in the Queen City of the South, a banner field is expected to clash for top honors in two divisions, this being one of the hotbeds of chess talents in the country. Registration is ongoing, according to Pilipinas Shell Petroleum Corporation, with fee pegged at P50 on a first-come-first-served basis. The two-day, seven-round Swiss system event features the juniors, exclusively for players 20-years-old and below, and the kiddies, for players 14-years-old and below. For details, contact Ben Macapaz at tel. No. (032) 344-3748 and Alex Dinoy at 0916-5146384 or (02) 744-1664. The tournament serves as the fifth leg of the eight-stage nationwide circuit culminating in the grand finals on Oct. 15-16 at SM City North EDSA. The tournament, which has produced the likes of Grandmaster Nelson Mariano II and International Master Mark Paragua, is backed by Shell Better Mileage Gasolines, Accel, Cebu Pacific, McDonald's Philippines, and Shellane in cooperation with SM Supermalls, Gaisano Mall (Davao City) and Lim Ketkai Mall (Cagayan de Oro City). A P20,000 grand prize is at stake in the juniors class while the kiddies champion will receive P10,000. Leg winners will get P5,000 (juniors) and P4,000 (kiddies). Representation in the grand finals per category will be composed of the top three finishers of each leg. Iloilo will host the other Visayas leg on Sept. 3-4 at SM City-Iloilo for the sixth leg.
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