The Maharlika Pilipinas Chess League (MCPL) will host one of the biggest, if not the biggest, chess events in the country dubbed the Manny Pacquiao International Open Chess Festival set Dec. 13 to 17 at the Family Country Hotel in General Santos City.
A whopping $100,000 or P4.2 million will be up for grabs in the five-day event that is expected to draw participation from around 100 in the Open and 180 participants in the side event.
“For five days, General Santos will be the chess center of the world and we look forward to hosting the tournament of brilliant minds,” said boxing icon and former Senator Manny Pacquiao, who is hosting the event on his 44th birthday.
Pacquiao thanked President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr., Philippine Sports Commission chairman Noli Eala and National Chess Federation of the Philippines chair and president Butch Pichay for supporting the meet.
The open event will stake a cash pool worth P3.4 million with the P1.14 million going to the champion while giving out a total of P800,000 in the side event where the eventual titlist will be getting a cool P300,000.
This early, a super Grandmaster in Vitalii Bernadskyi (2615) of Ukraine has already registered along with GMs Gaburzyan Hovhannes (2586) of Armenia and Vitaly Sivuk (2568) of Ukraine.
Other early registrants were Malaysian Tee Wee Zhun and Filipinos International Masters Kim Steven Yap and David Elorta.
And more are coming.
MCPL organizers IM Hamed Nouri and Alex Dinoy said this is the first of many they’re planning to hold in the near future.
In fact, they’re planning to stage at least three more international tournaments, which included challenge events on the side, next year.
“We are truly convinced that the MPCL will become a truly global festival of chess,” said Pacquiao.
Apart from the champion, the top 20 finishers will also get a prize along with the best category winners for kiddies (Under-14), ladies, juniors (U20), seniors (60 and above) and top local General Santos Players.
Same with the challenger event plus category titlists as best local government unit (LGU), government agency, college, General Santos native and private company.