By KRISTEL SATUMBAGA
With most of its tournaments scrapped due to the COVID-19 scare, the National Chess Federation of the Philippines will use the safer online chess as an alternative to continue with its programs.
In fact, the NCFP will be holding the first Philippine Bullet Chess Championship via lichess, an online chess application, with a total cash purse of P200,000 courtesy of NCFP chairman and president Prospero Pichay, Jr.
“Your NCFP will organize the first official national bullet chess championship as an online event,” said NCFP executive director Cliburn Orbe in the NCFP’s official facebook page. “We’d like to thank Congressman Pichay for this brilliant idea and for sponsoring the event.”
The forthcoming is in response to the recent postponement of its national championship as well as its age-group events due to the pandemic threat.
Orbe said the tournament will have 10 open qualifying legs in March and April with a total cash prize of P10,000 each leg followed by a semifinal to select the 16 grand finalists who will play a double-round robin format to determine the country’s first bullet king.
The finals will have a guaranteed prize of P100,000.
Orbe said the tournament will be streamed live on its social media accounts.
