HA NOI (VNS)–The national chess team will take part in the Asian Zone 3.3 Chess Championship in the Philippines, which kicks off today in Tagaytay City.

Participants will vie for cash prizes and three berths (two for men and one for women) in the Men's World Chess Cup and the Women's World Championships, slated for Tromso, Norway, from August 10 to September 5.

The Viet Nam team in the Philippines consists of seven male and five female masters. They hope to get at least one player away to Norway.

In the men's draw, host athlete Wesley So is considered the No 1 seed as Vietnamese super grandmaster Le Quang Liem is not competing. Liem, world No 39, left for England on Sunday for the Tradewise Gibraltar Chess Festival, from January 21-31.

Filipino So, who ranks 66th in the world, will be up against a strong field from Viet Nam, led by former world U10 champion Nguyen Ngoc Truong Son. Son in 2011 won a slot at the world cup.

Another strong contender is Indonesian Grandmaster Susano Megaranto, who will be defending his title.

Among the women, World No 51 Pham Le Thao Nguyen, 26, will face major obstacles in Munguntuul Batkhuyat, No 36, of Mongolia, and Li Ruofan, No 58, from Singapore.

The Asian zone tournament will run to January 30.