Philippine Sports News and Updates

Cebu City, Philippines - The Cebu International Convention Center (CICC) in Mandaue City will host a major chess tournament in the 6th Asian Individual Chess Championships on Sept 18 to 30.

The tournament serves as the Asian qualifying games for the World Cup and will feature top woodpushers from all Asian Federations.

Qualified woodpushers for the event are those included in FIDE Zones 3.1, 3.2, 3.4, 3.5 and 3.6.

The top ten finishers will qualify for the 2007 FIDE World Cup.

At stake in the tournament is a total of $40,000 in cash prizes.

The Philippines was awarded the hosting chores of the tournament in behalf of the National Chess Federation of the Philippines (NCFP) and courtesy of the Asian Chess Federation and FIDE.

NCFP President Prospero A. Pichay announced that more than 150 woodpushers from Asia are expected to join the tournament.

China has signified their intention by sending ten players with no less than 6 Super Grandmasters in GM’s Wang Yue (FIDE rating 2696), Bu Xiangzhi (2685), Ni Hua (2681), Zhang Pengxiang (2649) Ye Jiangchuan (2632) and Wang Hao (2626,).

Indonesia is sending GM Utut Adianto (2583) and Megaranto Susanto (2554) while Iran is expected to send GM Ehsan Ghaem Maghami (2610) and GM Elshan Moradiabadi (2540).

India, on the other hand, is sending more than ten players led by GM Surya Shekhar Ganguly (2586), Sandipan Chanda, Kunte Abhijit, Neelotpal Das, Gopal G.N., Deepan Chakkravarthy, G. Rohit, D. Barua, Arun Prasass and P.D.H. Girinith.

Vietnam will be led by GMs Le QUang Liem (2542), Nguyen Anh Dung (2537) while Singapore has GM Zhang Zhong (2634) as its representatives.