This is one of Cebu Chess Hub’s chess tournaments organized at the GMall of Cebu. | Contributed photo
CEBU CITY, Philippines — The Cebu Chess Hub will organize a cash-rich woodpushing tournament on February 23-25, at the Gmall of Cebu.
The tournament aptly dubbed the “Cebu Chess Hub: Open Chess Tournament” will have a total of P88,000 prize money for the winning woodpushers.
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Cebu Chess Hub objectives
According to one of Cebu Chess Hub’s bigwigs, Raffy Osumo, one of their main objectives of holding this cash-rich tournament is to revive the standard chess tilts in Cebu City.
“It is the first time in many years that a standard or “long game” tournament is available in Cebu City. For a time, rapid and blitz or games with shorter time controls are the only tournaments available in the city,” said Osumo.
“The absence of long games in the city’s chess scene affected the performance of younger chessers. Cebu City chess players failed to win a gold medal in the standard competition during the Batang Pinoy games last December in Manila.”
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Cebu Chess Hub: Long games
He expounded shorter games might pack the excitement, but long games would be far more crucial to develop strategy and tactics for players which they could utilize effectively in standard tournaments.
“The last tournament is evidence that longer time controls are much better to improve the strength of younger players,” International Master Rico Mascarinas said.
IM Mascarinas and teammate Anthony Makinano won a gold medal in the senior standard team tournament during the Philippine National Games (PNG) held simultaneously with Batang Pinoy competitions last December.
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7-round Swiss System
Cebu Chess Hub will have a 7-round Swiss System, open chess tournament with a time control of 1 hour and 30 seconds increment after the first move.
The tournament is FIDE-rated and sanctioned by the National Chess Federation of the Philippines (NCFP).
Total prize money of P88,000.00 is at stake during the tournament, with the champion getting P30,000.00 and a trophy.
The second placer will receive P20,000.00 plus a trophy, and the third placer will go home with P10,000.00 and a trophy. The fourth and fifth placers will get P5,000.00 and P3,000.00, respectively. Those finishing sixth to 10th places will receive P2,000.00.
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Senior winner
The top senior performer will pocket P5,000.00, the top lady woodpusher will receive P3,000.00, and the top kiddie player will go home with P2,000.00.
Cebu Chess Hub’s official Facebook page will also provide interested chess players with more details of the tournament.