The foreign-based Neg-rense chess patron, Mr. Antonio Ivan S. Aguirre has urged Negrense chess players to join his project dubbed "2nd Antonio Ivan S. Aguirre Negros Open Individual Chess Championship" to popularize the sports in the province.

The chessfest is the first big chess event this year and the second consecutive championship sponsored by one who is also a book writer, a CPA, CFE, CSI and MBA. It will start April 4 and end April 25, 2010.

The event, organized and officiated by the Game Royale Aficionados of Negros, Inc. headed by Dr. Alfonso Teorima in partnership with Top’s Millennium Plaza Bowling Lanes, Inc. is a 7-round Swiss system (1-hour 20 moves + 1 hour-to-finish-the-game) competition being is open to male and female players from Negros island and guest players from neighboring cities outside Negros who must know how to record chess games through either the Descriptive English or Algebraic Notation who must provide their own tournament-size chess sets and chess clocks.

Registration is now going on and ends on April 2, 2010 (Friday) at 6:00 p.m. with no extension at the venue. The tournament will be played only during weekends.

Registration fee is pegged at P200 per participant and deadline of registration (no extension) is on April 2, 2010 (Friday), 6:00 PM.

There will be no age limit in the tournament and it will also be open to GMs, IMs, FMs and NMs.

Prizes awaiting the top finishers of the event are: for the Champion P5,000 plus 42-inch, four-legged "King" trophy; for the 1st runner-up P4,000 plus 36-inch, four-legged "Queen" trophy; for the 2nd Runner-up P3,000 plus 30-inch, four-legged "Rook" trophy; for the 3rd Runner-up P2,000 plus 27-inch, four-legged "Bishop" trophy; and for the 4th runner-up P1,000 plus 24-inch, four-legged "Knight" trophy.

The 6th to 20th place finishers will each receive chess set with mat and bag.

The top scorers in the female category will get P700 for first place plus gold chess medal; P500 for 2nd Place plus silver chess medal; and P300 for 3rd place plus bronze chess medal.

The top three scorers in the Kiddies (13 years old and below) category will also get P500 for 1st place plus gold chess medal; P300 for 2nd place plus silver chess medal; and P200 for 3rd placed plus bronze chess medal.

For more information interested participants may contact the following: Mr. Gilbert Villanueva, head, Registration Committee through mobile no. 0926-4790537 and Mr. Dodz Felisilda, tournament director and chief arbiter through tel. no. 707-0421 and mobile nos. 0917-6078373 or 0919-658-1254.*