Top players from 16 countries, including China, India and Iran, will compete in the 17th Asian Continental Chess Championships (2nd Manny Pacquiao Cup) scheduled Dec. 9-19 at the Tiara Hotel in Makati City.
China’s GMs Wang Hao (2730), Wei Yi (2728) and Ni Hua (2683), Iran’s GM Parham Maghsoodloo (2689), and India’s GM Baskaran Adhiban (2682) and GM S. P. Sethuraman (2664) are among the players to watch in the tournament sanctioned by National Chess Federation of the Philippines president Butch Pichay and sponsored by Sen. Manny Pacquiao and the Philippines Sports Commission.
China’s WGM Guo Qi, who took home a silver in both the team and individual event of the 2014 World Chess Olympiad in Tromso, Norway and is currently rated 2368, is the top seed in the women’s division while China’s WGM Wang Jue (2367) and India’s WGM Padmini Rout (2341) are also expected to battle it out for the crown.
GMs John Paul Gomez, Darwin Laylo and Joey Antonio, IMs in Jan Emmanuel Garcia, Haridas Pascua, Marvin Miciano, Paolo Bersamina and recently-crowned ASEAN seniors chess champion International Master Chito Garma will spearhead the country’s challenge in the men’s division and WGM Janelle Mae Frayna in the women’s side.
An automatic GM title and norms will be given outright to the champion.
