A NATIONAL Master title, a Grandmaster norm and a chance to represent the country in international meets will be up for grabs as the National Juniors and Women’s Chess Championships are set separately today up to Wednesday at online app Tornelo.
The Juniors tilt will serve as an elimination round with the top eight marching through the Grand Finals set Oct. 24-27 in Malolos, Bulacan where the champion earns the NM title and will receive free board and lodging to the Asian Juniors and Girls Championships the next month in Tagaytay.
The Tagaytay tilt, hosted by city mayor and Philippine Olympic Committee Abraham Tolentino from Nov. 17 to 26 at the Knights Templar Hotel, will stake a GM norm to the champion.
It is here where IMs Daniel Quizon and Michael Concio, Jr., who both have GM norms, along with FM Alekhine, who is representing the country in the World Juniors Championships in Spain, are expected to see action as they seek to close in on the GM title.
Meanwhile, the National Women’s Championship will hold its semifinals that would participated in by all titled players, the top 25 in the elimination round early this year and the top three in the National Age Group and National Youth and Schools Championships.
The top seven there will then advance to the finals alongside the already seeded national team mainstays Woman Grandmaster Janelle Mae Frayna, Women International Masters Jan Jodilyn Fronda, Antoinette San Diego and Bernadette Galas and Woman FIDE Master Shania Mae Mendoza.
It scheduled from Nov. 28 to Dec. 3 at the PACE in Quezon City.
The Philippine Sports Commission chaired by Noli Eala and the POC are backing these meets. — J. Villar