Erring IM gets one-year ban

The National Chess Federation of the Philippines yesterday suspended International Master Ronald Dableo for one year and sacked five others for six months for their involvement in game-fixing in local and international tournaments last year.

The NCFP executive board slapped the suspension on the six players after it was established that Dableo fixed a game in the Malaysian Open and the rest conspired in a couple of local tilts last year as the chess body moved to rid itself of irregularities that have hounded the sport.

Aside from Dableo, the five other players who were suspended for six months were IMs Chito Garma and Darwin Laylo, Oliver Barbosa, Merben Roque and lone female player Enerose Magno.

"It’s a difficult decision, but we have to do it for the sake of chess," said NCFP secretary-general and Tagaytay City Mayor Abraham "Bambol" Tolentino in a statement.

The suspension order was signed by NCFP president and Surigao del Sur Rep. Prospero Pichay Jr.

"Acting on the recommendation of the Internal Affairs Committee, headed by former Benguet Gov. Raul Molintas, the NCFP resolved to suspend all the six players starting Feb. 27," the statement added.

The NCFP board acted on the recommendation of the committee chaired by former Benguet Gov. Raul Molintas. The other members of the fact-finding group were Edmundo Legaspi and veteran journalist Manny Benitez.

The suspension dealt a big blow to the country’s bid of producing more grandmasters since Dableo and Laylo already had two GM norms.

Several other players also implicated in game-fixing charges were still being investigated by the NCFP committee.

Tolentino said the NCFP would furnish Dableo and company copies of the decision, including the FIDE and NCFP-affiliated clubs.

"I haven’t received a copy of it," Dableo, who will turn 27 on March 11, told The STAR in Filipino. "I’ll act on it only after I see what are the grounds for suspending me."

"I’m not yet informed of it, I only read it in the papers," Garma, an Olympiad veteran, said. "I’ll consult my lawyer after I’ve read their decision."

Laylo, a two-time national champion and member of the RP squad that saw action in the 2006 Doha Asian Games that included Dableo, also questioned the grounds for his suspension.

"What are the grounds? We’ll appeal it, we’ll try to talk to Rep. Pichay for more compassion," Laylo said.

Barbosa, Roque and Magno, a member of the RP women’s squad in the last Olympiad in Palma de Mallorca, Spain last year, were unavailable for comment.

"We’ll send them copies, they can appeal it if they want to," said Tolentino.

Meanwhile, the Tagaytay City team of GMs Mark Paragua and Joey Antonio, and IMs Oliver Dimakiling and Wesley So leave today for Iran to defend the title in the 2007 Asian Cities Team Championship.

Tagaytay bagged the title in the 2005 edition, edging Guangzhou of China in the tiebreak. Pavlodar, another strong team from the former Soviet republic Kazakstan, finished third.