by Marlon Bernardino
United States based Grandmaster Mark Paragua will lead some of the country's woodpushers in the NLEX Sports Battle of the Minds online chess tournament on October 25, 2020, Sunday at four pm, Manila Time at lichess.org.

The 1998 World Rapid Under-14 champion Disneyland, Paris, France champion Paragua won all Balinas online event in this time of pandemic that includes GM Balinas Memorial Chess last July 19, the 81st Birthday Celebration of engr. Antonio "Uncle Paps" Balinas last August 22 the 79th Birthday Celebration of GM and Atty. Rosendo Carreon Balinas Jr. last September 6 and the  GM and Atty. Rosendo Carreon Balinas Jr. Death Anniversary Memorial Chess Tournament last September 27.
Also seeing action are GM Darwin Laylo, FM Alekhine Nouri, John Ranel Morazo, Stephen Manzanero, Prince Mark Aquino, Joemarie Resurreccion, Jan Darryl Batula and Micky Gilbuena.

The playing format of the tournament will be a 17-round Swiss System with a time control format of two minutes plus one second increment for each player.
The champion will receive P3,000, the second placer will have P2,000, the third placer will earn P1,000, the fourth placer will pocket P600 and the fifth placer will get P400. Sixth to 10th placers will bring home P200 each, 11th to 30th placers will bring home P100 each and 31st to 50th placers will receive P50 each.
Special prizes for the top 3 winners worth P250, P150 and P100, respectively in each category, Senior 55 years old and above, kiddies 12 years old and below and female.-Marlon Bernardino-