Tuesday, September 25, 2007 Memo creates Asean Chess Grand Prix
FOUR Southeast Asian Nations led by the Philippines and Indonesia agreed to form and organize on Sunday an Asean Chess Grand Prix to give chess players higher level tournaments.
The four countries including Singapore and Vietnam signed the Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) to stage the six-leg circuit annually with a minimum prize of $10,000.
As agreed in the MOA, each of the four participating nation should send a representative in each leg and should host at least one leg annually.
“Only Asean members can qualify to play in each of the six legs. The host country of every leg can field at least four players,” said Singapore Chess Association president Ignatius Leong who presided the press conference at the Crown Regency Hotel here.
Leong himself signed for Singapore while Wellie Abalos represented National Chess Federation of the Philippines (NCFP) president Prospero “Butch” Pichay, Grandmaster Utut Adianto signed for the Indonesian Chess Federation. Dang Da Thung for the Vietnam Chess Association.
Leong said they are expecting Malaysia and Thailand to join in the tournament as well as Myanmar, Laos, and Cambodia.
“We are happy to announce also that both Laos and Cambodia are already accepted as members of the Federation Internationale Des Echecs, acronym for Fide, the world governing body of chess,” Leon noted.
The signing of the MOA was also attended by Fide honorary lifetime president Florencio Campomanes, Fide ratings committee chairman Toti Abundo and grandmasters of the respective nations led by Joey Antonio, Eugene Torre, Indonesian GM Megaranto Susanto, GMs Dao Thien Hai and Le Quang Liem of Vietnam.
“This is my long-time dream coming true. This is good for the Asean countries to have more grandmasters tournaments to catch up with the rise of China and India as chess powers in Asia,” said Campomanes, former Fide president for more than a decade.
Abalos said that in its maiden year, the Philippines will host three legs, with one leg each for Indonesia, Singapore and Vietnam starting November with the staging of the GMA Cup in Manila.
“The Grand Prix will surely enhance the Southeast Asian region’s chances in the world level. We really need more international exposures and this is the answer,” said Abalos, the tournament chairman in the on-going 6th Asian Individual Chess Championship at the Cebu International Convention Center. (Frank Calapre)
