At stake in the seven-round Swiss system tournament are medals, a total purse of P28,000 plus slots in the national grand finals for top performers in the 20- and 14-under age brackets.
"This is one of the toughest competitions in the Shell multi-leg regional eliminations, with top seeds from the recently concluded NCAA and UAAP chess tournaments expected to give Batangueño participants a run for their chess prowess," said Shell national chess tournament organizer Teddy Bolivar.
Invited to grace the tournament’s opening rites are Batangas Vice Gov. Peter Laurel, Pilipinas Shell external affairs general manager Bobby Kanapi, and Shell Tabangao Refinery administration assistant Cels Dueñas.
The tournament started in 1992 through the combined efforts of former Shell executive Reynaldo Gamboa and journalist Art Borjal.