The Cambodian Chess Association (CCA) and the Olympic Committee of Cambodia (OCC) will jointly hold the First Khmer Chess Tournament from May 3-4 in order to standardize and highlight the game. The winner will receive $1,000 while the runner-up and third place will receive $700 and $500 respectively. Participating teams are to be established on provincial or municipal basis. CCA chairman Ly Hout told China’s Xinhua news agency he had raised $10,000 to encourage Cambodians to find and submit historical relics that could tell the real origin of the centuries-old sport. Khmer chess is a popular pastime here, although there have been no national matches yet as the OCC and CCA only recently certified the rules, Hout said.