The event has attracted 130 competitors from as afield as Kaiapoi and Invercargill.
It is one of the biggest chartered tournaments in the country.
It runs for two days and was last staged in Dunedin in 2012.
There are five different grades.
The men’s A grade shapes as the most competitive of the sections.
Otago pair John Fogarty and Wang Qi are the strongest of the local contenders, although Tavish Voight is a player to watch in the future.