INQUIRER Sports

MANILA, Philippines--The Shell National Youth Active Chess Championship unveils its 2008 season this month with another eight-leg circuit spread over key cities nationwide.

The National Capital Region leg on June 21-22 at SM City Manila will kick off the six-month long series, the country's biggest talent-search for chess-playing students and out-of-school youths that will culminate in the grand championship in Manila in November.

Competition will be in the juniors (20 years and below) and the kiddies (14 years and below).

The provincial legs will start in Tuguegarao on July 5-6 for the Northern Luzon regional while the Southern Luzon eliminations will be held in Batangas on July 19-20 and in Naga City on Aug. 2-3.

Cebu takes its turn to host the event on Aug. 23-24 while Iloilo stages the sixth leg on Aug. 30-31 for the Visayas regionals.

The Mindanao legs will be held on Sept. 13-14 (Davao leg) before action winds up at in Zamboanga City on Sept. 27-28.

The top three finishers in both divisions from each leg will converge in the Manila finals on Nov. 8-9 at SM Megamall, with the junior champion getting P30,000 and the kiddie winner P20,000.