Thursday, September 20, 2007 Chess Olympiad in Cebu
AFTER the 6th Asian Individual Chess Championship, which opened here yesterday at the Cebu International Convention Center, both Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia and National Chess Federation of the Philippines (NCFP) Prospero “Butch” Pichay are targeting the 2012 World Chess Olympiad.
Pichay said the NCFP will be bidding for the hosting of the 144-nation Chess Olympiad in the Fide meeting next year, which will coincide with the holding of the 2008 edition in Germany.
“We are bidding to host the 2012 Olympiad, which we are planning to be held here at the CICC. The place is even much better than the venue last year in Turin, Italy,” said Pichay during the opening ceremonies also attended by lifetime honorary Fide president Florencio Campomanes.
The move of Pichay was likewise supported by Gov. Garcia, whose administration built the CICC for the 2006 Asean Summit.
“We are encouraging organizers to hold their international events here because the CICC is a very good site and they will experience Cebuano hospitality,” said Garcia, as she graced the biggest and first international chess tournament held in the Queen City of the South.
Former host
Pichay said Cebu is the ideal venue for the biennial Chess Olympiad because Manila has already hosted the event in 1992, won by powerhouse Russia at the Philippine International Convention Center.
“What is more encouraging is the lady Governor of Cebu is very supporive of the idea and the CICC is a better venue than the one in Italy last year. I should know because I was there together with our Team Philippines,” Pichay said.
He said that the Federation Chess International Association, the world governing body, requires at least a $1 million hosting bond, but with the help of chess supporters in the country, the plan is not impossible.
Benefits
“As long as I’m the president of NCFP, I would really like to host more international events rather than sending our players to participate abroad because it will not just be one player who could benefit but many of them,” he said.
The 2010 edition of the Olympiad will be in Siberia, Russia, and Fide is going to hold a bidding for the 2012 edition.
Meanwhile, 72 top players from 28 countries including 13 from China, 12 from India, seven from Iran and four each from Jordan, Qatar, Indonesia, Malaysia, Banglasdesh are in Cebu for the Asian Chess Championships that will select the top 10 players who will see action in the World Cup in Russia in November.
“With 29 Grandmasters participating, it’s not just an ordinary international tournament. This is one of the biggest the country is hosting after more than a decade,” Pichay said.
At press time, GM Eugene Torre, currently the top-rated Filipino player with an Elo rating of 2536, was still facing Iranian FM Touffghi Homayoon in board 18; GM Mark Paragua, whose rating dropped to 2525, was still playing Jordanian FM Samhouri Ahmad in board 22 at press time; and GM Joey Antonio was facing Singapore’s FM Goh Weiming in board 19. (FCC)
