MISAMIS ORIENTAL and multi-titled Tagaytay City have been tagged favorites in the 2011 National Inter-Cities and Municipalities Chess Team Championship which will run from Nov. 4-8 at the Tanauan Gymnasium in Tanauan City, Batangas.
Misamis Oriental Gov. Oscar Moreno and Vice-Gov. Norres Babiera will draw power from Grandmaster Darwin Laylo while Tagaytay of Mayor Abraham Tolentino Jr. will lean on GM Wesley So in their bid for the P150,000 top purse.
Other member of Team MisOr are NM Onofre Espiritu, Allan Cantonjos and Jhonel Balquin while completing the Tagaytay roster are NM Edmundo Gatus, Ivan Gil Biag and Andrew Casiano.
At least 30-teams, led by the country’s top titled and non-titled players, are seeing action in the five-day event organized by the Tanauan Economic Council headed by lawyer Ruel Canobas and supervised by the National Chess Federation of the Philippines (NCFP).
Cash prizes will be awarded up to the 10th placer with the runner-up getting P90,000. Special awards will also be given to the individual board champions while the team with the best uniform will get P5,000.
A rapid chess tilt which will act as side event among players of eliminated teams will also be held simultaneously with the semifinal and final rounds with P20,000 going to the champion. /Correspondent MARLON BERNARDINO