BUGHOUSE or transfer chess will have a second serving in the Philippines with the staging of the WR Bughouse Open scheduled on Aug. 29 at the Quezon City MICE Center.
This one will be a reprise of the successful inaugural staging early last month at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in Taguig where the country saw and competed against World No. 2 Hikaru Nakamura, who teamed up with WR founder and organizer Wadim Rosenstein.
Isaac Chiu and Janak Awatramani of Deep Waters topped that one by edging fancied Grandmaster (GM) Andrew Tang and FIDE Master Richard Zheng of The Angry Birds to pocket the top purse worth P500,000.
Mr. Rosenstein, who is one of the three running for president of FIDE, the sport’s world governing body, in elections set this September in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, was so happy with the turnout in that one that he is bringing back the event to the Filipinos.
“He (Mr. Rosenstein) just wants to promote and popularize chess in every form,” said National Chess Federation of the Philippines (NCFP) Secretary-General and Chief Executive Officer GM Jayson Gonzales.
Around 100 to 200 participants are expected to see action including top masters from the country and in Asia for a chance to vie for a share of the total cash pot worth P620,000, including P100,000 to the eventual titlist.
The one-day meet will have a qualifying phase with the top 16 advancing to the knockout rounds.
The second and third placers will receive P70,000 and P50,000, respectively, with cash prizes awaiting top 20 finishers as well as category winners — junior (U20), youth (U16), kiddie (U14), senior (50+), mixed, female, school and NCFP affiliated club — each pocketing P5,250.
Host city Mayor Joy Belmonte and Vice-Mayor Gian Carlo Sotto and the city’s Sports Development Office and the Philippine Sports Commission are supporting the event. — Joey Villar