Tuesday, December 18, 2007 3rd Lapasan chessfest set to fire off Thursday By Lynde Salgados
BROKEN-hearted by the loss of their training hub in downtown Divisoria, local woodpushers may still at least have something to look up this Christmas season with the holding of the 3rd Daniel LL Abellanosa Memorial chess tournament here in Barangay Lapasan.
Slated on December 20-21 at the UCCP (United Church of Christ in the Philippines) building along Baconga street, the pre-Christmas tourney stakes around P12,000 in total cash prizes with the lion's share of P5,000 plus trophy going to the champion.
"Timing sab ni nga tournament makuha-kuhaan ra ang kaguol sa mga players. Mao nga nagbutang sab ta'g category prizes para daghan ang moapil," said arbiter, Jokorn Maestrado, even as he made an assurance that similar things that happened in their recent event at Deluxe Hotel will never be repeated.
Second and third placers in this seven-round Swiss system tourney with time control of 45 minutes for each player (play-to-finish) will be receiving P3,000 and P1,000, respectively, also with trophies.
Fourth to fifth will get P500 and P300 each with the rest of the top-8 finishers out to pocket P200 apiece.
For the category awards, top class B, top class C, top Lapasan resident, top junior, top kiddy, top senior and top lady will be given P400 each.
Entry fee for regular players is pegged at P150. Kiddies will be assessed with P50 only with the Class B, C, junior, lady and senior contestants to be charged with a minimal fee of P75.
Tournament organizer Rizalino Frias and national arbiter Jun Cuizon will assist Maestrado in supervising the two-day chessfest.
"We also encourage the participants to bring their own chess set and clock, if they have any, for their own convenience," added Maestrado.
