FIDE sets probe on NCFP official

Newly-installed FIDE secretary-general Ignatius Leong and Zone 3.2a president Dang Tat Thang will file a report to the World Chess Federation regarding complaints against embattled National Chess Federation secretary-general Sammy Estimo.

But the two, who are on a short visit here, suggested that the NCFP under athletics chief Go Teng Kok will have to resolve the matter internally so as not to affect its preparations for the 23rd Southeast Asian Games slated Nov. 27-Dec. 5 in the country.

"We will make a report," said Leong, who was appointed to his new position only more than a month now, in a press briefing yesterday.

"But the bigger problem is keeping the continuity of chess in the SEA Games," said Leong, a Singaporean who rose from the ranks after forming the ASEAN Chess Confederation. Leong, however, clarified that although FIDE Ethics Committee considers the Estimo case an internal problem, the FIDE does not prevent the Zone president from making an inquiry. In fact, Dang, a Vietnamese who recently paid a courtesy call on Philippine Olympic Committee president Jose "Peping" Cojuangco, was personally tasked by Continental president Khalifa Al Hitmi of Kuwait to look into the matter. It can be recalled that local chessers led by grandmasters Joey Antonio and Nelson Mariano II had filed a complaint with regards to Estimo’s failure to release the allowances of athletes provided for by the Philippine Sports Commission.Some complainants were players who competed in the 2002 Bled Olympiad and the 2003 World Youth Chess Championships in Greece."If this has been going on for long time, there must be substance in the complaints," Leong said.

Leong and Dang, however, didn’t comment on what action FIDE would take against Estimo, who is already in deep trouble after the NBI recommended that the latter be prosecuted.