Pacquiao Open Chess Festival is scheduled | So Good News

The Maharlika Pilipinas Chess League (MPCL) will host the biggest chess event in the country called the Manny Pacquiao International Open Chess Festival from December 13 to 17 at the Family Country Hotel in General Santos.

$100,000 or P4.2 million will be up for grabs in the five-day event, which will feature about 100 players in the Open Division and 180 participants in the bonus games.

“For five days, General Santos will be the chess capital of the world and we expect a tournament of great minds,” said boxing icon and former senator Emmanuel “Manny” Pacquiao, who will celebrate his 44th birthday on the final day of the tournament.

Pacquiao thanked President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., Philippine Sports Commission Chairman Noli Eala, and Philippine National Chess Federation Chairman and President Prospero Pichai Jr. for their support of the chess festival.

The open event puts up a P3.4 million cash pool of P1.14 million, with P1.14 million going to the champion, while the side event gives a total of P800,000, with the final title slate taking home a cool P300,000.

So far, Ukrainian Super Grandmaster Vitaly Bernadsky (2615) has registered for the tournament along with Armenian General Gaburzyan Hovhannes (2586) and Ukrainian Vitaly Sivuk (2568).

Other early registrants were Malaysia’s Tee Wee Joon and Philippine International Masters Kim Steven Yap and David Elorta.

And more to come.

Organizers IM Hamed Noori and Alex Dinoy said this is the first of many tournaments planned by the MPCL. In fact, they are planning to hold at least three more international tournaments next year.

“We truly believe that the MPCL will become a true world chess festival,” Pacquiao said.

In addition to the champion, the top 20 players will also be awarded along with children (under 14), ladies, juniors (under 20), seniors (over 60) and the best local players in General Santos. City.