Shell-Davao chess listup ongoing

MANILA, Philippines - Registration for the 2015 Shell National Youth Active Chess Championship Southern Mindanao leg is now in full swing with the fourth regional qualifier expected to lure another big cast when the event is played Aug.  8-9 at the SM City Annex Event Center in Davao City.

The event is the last leg of the two weekend-tournaments held in the region as the sponsoring Pilipinas Shell recognizes the wide base of chess talents and enthusiasts in Mindanao, which has drawn full-packed field each time it hosted the event in the region over the last 23 years.

“We continue to innovate on our Shell Active Chess program to help improve the skills of our chess players,” said Jackie Ampil, social investment manager of Pilipinas Shell. “We hope this will prepare them to become better players. This year, we have narrowed the age gaps by creating a third division to even out the playing field. This is in line with our objective to develop stronger chess players who may eventually represent the country in major international competitions.”

The holding of the three-category tournament for the first time has also given all young players a chance to showcase their talents and vie for berths in the national finals which will gather the best of the best of the five-stage regional eliminations sanctioned by the National Chess Federation of the Philippines.

In the second Mindanao leg, organizers have set a maximum of 300 participants on a first-come, first-served basis, with competitions set in the kiddies (7-12 years old), juniors (13-16) and seniors (17-20) divisions.

For more details, call up tournament director Alex Dinoy at 0918-3705750. Players may also opt to download registration forms at www.shell.com.ph/shell_chess.