MANILA, Philippines – Grand Master (GM) Oliver Barbosa will enter the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) International Chess Championship as the top seed when the tournament begins Monday at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium, Rizal Memorial Sports Complex in Manila.

Barbosa gained the top seed as he entered the tournament with an ELO rating of 2574. The Taytay, Rizal native is the lone Filipino qualifier to the World Chess Cup in Norway later this year, after he finished fifth overall in the 11th Asian Continental Chess Championships last May 2012.

Meanwhile, 12-time National Open champion GM Rogelio “Joey” Antonio Jr. is seeded second with an ELO of 2541, while GM Mark Paragua is the third-seed with an ELO rating of 2533.

Other notable players seeing action in the PSC chess championship are: International Master (IM) Bayarsaikhan Gundavaa of Mongolia (ELO: 2522); GM John Paul Gomez (ELO:2520); IM Nguyen Van Huy of Vietnam (ELO:2500); GM Cao Sang of Vietnam (ELO:2498); GM Tejas Bakre of India (ELO:2492); GM Darwin Laylo (ELO:2491); and GM Eugene Torre (ELO:2485).

The tournament offers a guaranteed cash prize of $30,000, with the champion getting the top prize of $6,000.

The tournament will use the nine-round Swiss System and was organized by the National Chess Federation of the Philippines in cooperation with PSC chairman Ricardo Garcia and Philippine Olympic Committee president Peping Cojuangco Jr. -- By Marlon Bernardino