NCFP needs funds to help GM aspirants

If the National Chess Federation of the Philippines gets financial backing, NCFP president Eugene Torre said he might encourage grandmaster-candidates Rogelio Barcenilla Jr. and Enrico Sevillano to pursue their bids in the country.

"We need more financial backers to support the group’s programs and if we can attract more support from the private sector, then we might just help finance the bids of our local masters with GM norms to achieve their goals of becoming RP’s next GMs," said Torre in yesterday’s PSA Forum at the Holiday Inn Manila.

Barcenilla and Sevillano are currently competing in the US circuit in hopes of scoring GM results. Barcenilla actually completed his three-norm requirement for a GM title but one norm was nullified by the FIDE ratings committee.

Torre added that the NCFP is also planning to help local chessers IM Nelson Mariano II and FIDE Master Fernie Donguines finance their respective GM bids although they may not be able to work on this until late this year.

"Siyempre, sila iyong mga priority ng NCFP pero bibigyan din natin ’yung mga lumalakas na players ng pagkakataon na maging GMs," Torre explained.

The first of the several projects in the NCFP calendar this year is the 2001 National Open Chess Championship set to start on Saturday at the Greenhills Shopping Center in San Juan.

At stake in the 11-round Swiss System elimination round format are nine slots in the finals, scheduled April 2-11 also in San Juan, aside from rich prize money put up by the event’s project director Mat Defensor.

GMs Torre, Rogelio Antonio Jr. and Buenaventura Villamayor are already seeded in the 12-man finals with the top five finishers getting berths in the Zonal Championship (Zone 3.2a) to be held here April 23.

The NCFP is also staking slots in the national pool where the qualifiers get monthly allowances from the Philippine Sports Commission.