Stay at Home chessfest: ‘Team Battle’ on today

CEBU, Philippines —  A total of 32 teams featuring the cream of the crop in Cebu chess will fight it out for supremacy as the seventh leg of the Stay at Home Chess Challenge billed as ‘Team Battle’ gets underway today on lichess.org.

Event organizer International Master Kim Steven Yap said the contending squads, composed of three players each, are divided into five brackets.

They will see action in the elimination round scheduled today. The top two teams per bracket will proceed to the finals where they are ensured at the top 10. The third best scoring team in each bracket will be placed 11-15th.

In the finals on Sunday, all 10 teams will play a new round.

Close to P30,000 in cash prize will be given away to the winners of the two-day tilt organized by the Cebu School of Chess in partnership with Chess Infinitum Inc. headed by its president Benjamin “Boojie” Lim.

The champion will take home P9,000, with the second to third placers pocketing P6,000 and P3,000, respectively. The fourth and fifth will pocket P1,500 each while the sixth to 15th will get a consolation prize of P600.

The top ladies, kiddies (14-under) and seniors (60-above) will claim a P500 bonus. Also, the best female and best kiddie will head to the grand finals in December.

Fans will also have a chance to win cash prizes if they watch the games live on the Cebu School of Chess Facebook page with Yap and fellow IM Oliver Dimakiling as hosts. — EBV