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Monday, August 14, 2006
GMs snub cash-rich Pichay Memorial Cup
By Lynde Salgados
CANTILAN, Surigao del Sur -- With barely three hours left before the richest ever chess tournament in Mindanao gets underway, not even one of the four GMs signifying early their participation showed up to register at the Convention Hall, SSPSC-SSIT Campus, venue of the four-day competition here in memory of the late father of NCFP chair Representative Prospero "Butch" Pichay Jr.
Grandmasters Mark Paragua, Eugene Torre, Rogelio Antonio Jr. and Nelson Mariano II reportedly begged off to skip the event for various reasons, even as Fide's honorary chairman Florencio Campomanes cited cowardice as the main culprit of their no-show.
"Si Joey (Antonio) may dahilan dahil kompleto sa receipts ng ospital na siyay nagkasakit. Pero `yong tatlo takot na masilat rito dahil baka mabawasan ng ratings sa Fide-rated na event na `to," Campomanes said in a huddle with tournament director Cesar Caturla in the company of national arbiters Ronnie Tabudlong and Jun Cuizon, assistants Totong Salcedo and Tyrone Alaan and this writer.
In the event of impending defeats to promising chess players in the country, the GMs would suffer a decline in their respective elo ratings.
"At yon ang kinatatakutan nila dahil baka hindi na sila ma-imbita sa mga tournaments sa Europe," Campomanes surmised, alluding that there are much younger and better players in the field than the said GMs who led RP chess team to a dismal finish in the recent World Chess Olympiad in Turin, Italy.
Even the less-fancied participants of the P300,000-rich 3rd Prospero Pichay Sr. Memorial Open criticized the GMs' refusal to come here.
"It's an open book na grabe yong ginawang tulong ng NCFP chair sa kanila kahit na nangungulilat sila. Sana nerespeto man lang nila si Pichay," one chesser from GenSan, said.
Caturla, however, considered the latest development as a blessing in disguise saying that the youthful cast of IM Oliver Dimakiling, NM John Paul Gomez, two-time Philippine Open champion Darwin Laylo not to mention the emerging talents from the provinces are equal to the task in strength as well as in drawing attention and respect from the local chess fans.
"Actually, hindi na natin sila kakailanganin dito. Mas uunlad ang Philippine Chess kung papalitan ng mga mas bata na may puso at strong drive to compete," said Caturla.
Players from as far as Davao, Zamboanga, Dipolog, Cagayan de Oro, Butuan, Cebu and Manila are compromising the biggest bulk of over 100 contestants vying for juicy cash prizes, Fide titles and world ratings in this tournament organized by the Friends of Cong. Butch Pichay in cooperation with the Cantilan Chess Club.
(August 14, 2006 issue)
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