DAVAO CITY -- National Chess Federation of the Philippines (NCFP) president Prospero “Butch” Pichay has firmly expressed his support to the candidacy of World Chess Federation (FIDE) acting president Georgios Makropoulos as president of the governing world chess body come the presidential elections on October 3 in Bantumi, Georgia.
The 68-year-old Pichay, also a representative from the 1st district of Surigao del Sur, announced this during Makropoulos’s visit in the closing day of the 19th Asean Age Group Chess Championships on June 27 at the Royal Mandaya Hotel here.
“I strongly believe that Makropoulos is qualified to run for FIDE president and supporting him is supporting FIDE,” was Pichay’s strong remarks.
The 65-year-old Makropoulos, himself an International Master from Greece, announced his bid for presidency last April.
Makropoulos, also the president of the Greek Chess Federation since 1982, was elected deputy president in the last elections but took over Kirsan Ilyumzhinov’s post this year.
Ilyumzhinov has been FIDE president since 1995 and was forced to resign from office by virtue of a board resolution passed with a vote of 14-1.
He was sanctioned by the US treasury “for materially assisting and acting for on behalf of the Government of Syria,” a report said.
With this, the Swiss department of UBS bank notified FIDE that its bank account would be frozen with Ilyumzhinov’s sanction.
Makropoulos, on his bid for the top post, vowed reforms in the world federation as among his platforms of government.
One of his reforms includes the change of term limits of the international governing body’s top post to two terms in office with four years per term, while members of the board will have three terms.
He also vowed to stop proxy representations and let the delegates represent themselves in the world federation.
Makropoulos, in an exclusive interview with SunStar Cagayan de Oro, exposed that proxy representation was for sale.
He ought to establish a commission for strategy to provide a 15-year long term plan for the future of chess including wide publicity to market the sport.
“He is FIDE’s best chance and he is the most experience,” said Pichay.
Makropoulos is not new in the running of FIDE since he was the vice president since 1986 and had been actively running the federation’s organization since becoming deputy president in the 90s.
He revealed that he might face somebody from Russia and Grandmaster Nigel Short of England for the presidency.
Reports from other news say Ilyumzhinov will still run for president despite the sanction.
“My group is strong,” Makropoulos said, owing he has the numbers supporting him for the top post.
Pichay, on the other hand, has been campaigning for Makropoulos to neighboring federation presidents in Southeast Asia especially those present in the Asean Chess Championships.