The Philippine National Open Chess Championships kicked off yesterday with 14 of the country's top woodpushers battling it out for hefty cash prizes and spots in the 45th World Chess Olympiad in Budapest, Hungary next year.

Grandmasters Darwin Laylo, John Paul Gomez and Joey Antonio and Woman GM Janelle Mae Frayna spearhead the strong field seeing action at the Marikina Community Convention Center.

Dubbed "The Battle of Grandmasters" and presented by host city Congresswoman Maan Teodoro and Mayor Marcy Teodoro, the top three finishers in the 13-round chessfest will carry the national colors in the World Chess Olympiad set from 10 to 23 September.

Also in the fray are International Masters Jem Garcia, Pau Bersamina, Daniel Quizon and Barlo Nadera, FIDE Master Mark Jay Bacojo and Christian Gian Karlo Arca and Woman IM Marie Antoinette San Diego. Joining them are Vince Angelo Medina, John Jerish Velarde and Samson Cjiu Chin Lim.

Big cash prizes also await the podium finishers with the champion bagging P120,000. The runner-up will pocket P70,000 while the third placer will get P50,000 from the purse courtesy of Marikina City, National Chess Federation of the Philippines president Prospero Pichay Jr., Philippine Olympic Committee president Abraham "Bambol" Tolentino, Philippine Sports Commission chairman Richard Bachmann, the Eugene Torre Chess Foundation, Pande and Amerikana's Jundio Salvador.

Expected to draw attention is 14-year-old Arca after the Panabo, Davao del Norte-born and Dasmariñas-based rising chess star topped the World Youth blitz in Italy last month.

After just one round yesterday, there will be two games each today and tomorrow before the event takes a New Year break.

Play resumes with two rounds on 3 January next year and two rounds the next day, a round on 5 January, back to two on 6 January and the 13th and final round on 7 January.

The participants came from various locations across the country like Mindoro, Laguna, Cavite, Bicol, Cebu, Malabon and Bulacan, highlighting the nationwide scope of this prestigious tournament.