PCF finds ally in FIDE council

ISTANBUL, Turkey – Members of the powerful Executive Council of the International Chess Federation (FIDE) expressed their objection over a decision of the FIDE Presidential Board giving recognition to the National Chess Federation of the Philippines but favored negotiations between the Philippine Chess Federation and the NCFP to solve the crisis.

Georgious Makropolous, executive vice president of FIDE, said he was not in favor of the decision handed down by the Presidential Board on Aug. 27 in the quarterly meeting in Tehran, Iran.

Makropolous was not present during the board meeting where the NCFP gained recognition as the sole governing body for chess in the Philippines, replacing the PCF which has been a FIDE full member for 43 years.

Other Executive Council members who opposed the decision were FIDE legal consultant Morien Sand of Norway and William Kelleher of the influential US Chess Federation. The two were also absent during the Tehran meeting.

Sand and Kelleher also believed the PCF team had the better right to represent the Philippines in the ongoing World Chess Olympic because it remains a FIDE member until after the NCFP’s membership is approved by the General Assembly.

Sand said the FIDE could only admit a new federation on provisional basis and that the NCFP should not have been admitted to play in the Olympiad or given a seat in the FIDE Congress.

Casto Abundo of the NCFP is the registered FIDE delegate, replacing the PCF’s Enofre Manuel.

Many FIDE delegates here shared the same opinion but readily admitted that "unseen hands" are conniving to ensure the membership of the NCFP and will be out to manipulate proceedings in the Executive Council and the General Assembly to favor the NCFP.

However, Sand, Kelleher and Makropolous favored a compromise agreement where the PCF and NCFP could unite to form a new organization, with players getting an equal number of seats in the board.

Its ego boosted by a 2.5-1.5 triumph over Portugal the other day, the NCFP-backed Philippine team clobbered Singapore, 3.5-.5, to gain a share of eighth to 18th places in yesterday’s sixth round of the World Chess Olympiad.

Grandmaster Rogelio Antonio, Jr., newly-installed GM Bong Villamayor and International Master Barlo Nadera provided the victories on Boards 2 to 4 with GM Eugene Torre completing the rout with a quick nine-move draw against Wu Shaobin, who has an ELO rating of 2500, on the top board.

The win hiked RP’s total to 15.5 points, three points behind Germany, which remained at the helm following a 2-2 standoff with defending champion Russia. Tied with the Philippines were England, Bulgaria, Netherlands, Georgia, Croatia, Yugoslavia, India, Denmark, seventh-round foe China and the US.

Not as fortunate as their male counterparts were the country’s women chessers, who lost to Slovenia, 1-2, to slide deeper in the standings at joint 47th spot with 8.5 points.

After only a draw in four outings, teen sensation Arianne Caoili posted his first victory of the tournament at the expense of Kathy Grosar on Board 1, making up for the twin losses by Leah Bernardo and Christine Espallardo to Anita Licina and Jana Krivech, respectively. — With reports from Joey Villar