Top chess players in action at Mercantile Championships

Big prize money on offer to the winners:

Sanjaya ARIYARATNE

The cream of the chess players in the island will be taking part in the Mercantile Open Chess Championship 2007 which will gets underway today at the Lions Activity Centre, Vidya Mawatha, Colombo 07 commencing at 8.30 a.m.

This one day event which is being organised by the Mercantile Chess Association of Sri Lanka is being conducted according to the swiss system.

The number of rounds will be declared on the tournament day by the tournament committee. Seylan Bank has come forward to sponsor this event to promote the game in the mercantile sector.

The tournament will be worked off in two divisions in which the top players will be playing in division ‘A’ and the other players will be included into division `B’. The most outstanding team in the ‘A’ division will be awarded a cash prize to the value of Rs. 25,000.

The champion team will receive Rs. 10,000 along with the champion trophy, medals and certificates.

A cash award of Rs. 5,000 will be on offer for the first runners up place with the silver medals and certificates while the second runners up team will collect a cash award of Rs.2,500 and medals.

The players who excel in the tournament will also be awarded individual cash prizes. The player who is being adjudged as the best individual player in the division ‘A’ by collecting massive points will be awarded Rs. 3,000 along with the championship trophy and a gold medal while the runner up and third place will get Rs. 2,000 and 1,000 respectively with the medals.

The top player in the women’s section will receive Rs.1,000 and gold medal. There will be attractive awards on offer for teams who finish in the first three places in the ‘B’ division. Sampath Bank emerged champions of this event last time.

The teams: Sampath Bank, Hatton National Bank, Seylan Merchant Bank, Union Assurance, Perfect Digital (pvt) ltd, Aviva Global Services Lanka (pvt) ltd, Onek Lanka (pvt)ltd, MAS Holdings, Lanka Bell, MND Associate, Ashen Advertising (pvt) ltd, Dushani Accessories.