Sinulog team chess tournament

Frank “Boy” Pestaño
Chessmos

OUR Club has been in existence for the past 18 years or so and although we manage to have an event during Sinulog time, next year’s happening will be a big one, thanks to the help of Councilor Jack Jakosalem, the City Council and the Cebu City Sports Commission.

We are happy to announce that there will be an open team tournament during next year’s Sinulog. It will be a seven-round Swiss format with time control at one hour per player, play to finish.

Playing dates are two rounds on Jan. 9, three rounds on the 10th and the final two rounds on the 11th. Venue will be announced later.

Team composition will be four regular players and, if you wish, an alternate, although it is not necessary. A team can only have one titled player (GM, IM, FM, NM).

Scoring will be based on the Match Point system with a win worth two points (3.5-1.5,3-1 or 2.5-1.5); a draw, one point (2-2); and a loss, zero.

The following Olympiad and Fide rules will be strictly followed: 1.) Ringing of cell phone will also mean an automatic disqualification. 2.) Prior agreement to fix the match will be nullified and the penalty will be determined by a committee composed of current Cepca president Renato Casia as the chairman, with Joe Atillo and Jun Olis as members.

Other guidelines in effect are: teams formed by any Cepca member must include the member as a regular player, not as an alternate. Schools who are interested to join can invite a titled player as guest and all the rest must be students of that school. Out-of-town teams and companies are also welcome.

Tournament arbiters are Marvin Ruelan (Fide arbiter) and Bob Tojong.

Prizes are: P25,000, trophy and gold medals for the champion; P15,000 and silver medals for the runner-up; P10,000 and bronze medals for the third placer. The fourth placer will get P5,000, while the fifth and sixth placers will get P3,000 and P1,000, respectively. Board 1 to Board 4 winners will receive P1,000, each.

The registration per team is P1,000 and we also urge the teams to come in proper uniforms.

Lapu-Lapu Festival. A selection of Cepca’s and Lapu-Lapu City’s best woodpushers will be slugging it out for the top prize in the 2008 Lapu-Lapu City X-Mas Chess Invitational this Sunday at 1 p.m. at the Gun-ob National High School.

This five-round Swiss system tournament is open to all Cepcans and Lapu-Lapu players only. Cepca’s Dante Arguelles, Jojo Muralla, Mandy Baria, Maggi Dionson, Joe Atillo, Gideon Lauta, Felix Poloyapoy, Jun Quidlat and Atty. Boy Tumulak have already pledged to join the tournament. Other interested members may contact former Cepca president and tournament director Jun Olis at 340-1355 or 0910-347-6907.

Prizes in kind up to the 10th place are provided, while trophies for the first three places are donated by the Lapu-Lapu City Sports Commission.

Talisay City Chess. The monthly tournament for December will take place at the South Central Square, Lawaan tomorrow and Sunday. Format is seven rounds Swiss and time control is 30 minutes per player, play to finish.

Attractive prizes are at stake and registration is free for kiddies. Junior players will pay P50, while regular players will pay P80. There is a 50 percent discount for club members.

The tournament starts at 10 a.m. for kiddies and at 1 p.m. for the regular players and juniors. The November champion was Michael Pinar and the kiddies winner was Diego Claro.

You can register by texting former Cepca president and tournament director Manny Manzanares at 0915-720-5457 and pay on site.

The Christmas party for Cepca members and their families will be on Dec. 21 at my residence in Mabolo. We will also have a blitz tournament.