Chessers protest official’s role in game-fixing probe

Chess players have protested the inclusion of Willie Abalos in the committe tasked by the National Chess Federation of the Philippines to investigate the game-fixing issue.

This after Abalos was found to have a personal grudge with International Master Ronald Dableo, one of the players he has implicated in the scandal that has rocked RP chess.

"Out of delicadeza, Abalos should resign as member of the group investigating the game-fixing scandal because he has a quarrel with Dableo," said a source close to Dableo in Filipino.

"He’ll definitely influence the investigation because he has a personal grudge with Dableo," added the same source.

Reports showed that Abalos had been at odds with Dableo for years but their quarrel reached its height during the 2006 Doha Asian Games.

Abalos accused Dableo, an Air Force man, of throwing a game to Vietnamese Grandmaster Dao Thien Hai in a foreign tournament last year. To-date the former failed to substantiate the charges.

"How can he (Dableo) throw that game when a win meant IM Oliver Dimakiling would end up champion and IM Darwin Laylo second place.

"You can’t do that to friends and especially when you’re playing for flag and country, that’s completely preposterous," explained the same source.

The NCFP has tasked Abalos to spearhead the probe in the President Arroyo Cup in November and the Pichay Cup in December last year while NCFP executive director Sammy Estimo was assigned to the tournament in Tanauan, Batangas also last year.

Allegations of selling of points in Tanauan where IM Chito Garma won, games won quickly in the President Arroyo Cup and fishy final round games in the Pichay Cup were the issues raised that prompted the NCFP probe. — Joey Villar