NCFP in quandary as chess Olympics nears

It has virtually turned into a blitz game, this Philippine Chess Federation-National Chess Federation of the Philippines clash with the NCFP slowly losing the initiative barely 12 days before the start of the World Chess Olympiad in Istanbul, Turkey.

In fact, the NCFP officials are in a mad rush to muster all (financial) support they could, even seeking the help of Malacañang, after most, if not all, of their perceived supporters have backed out in the aftermath of the chess row.

But without a SEC (Securities and Exchange Commission) registration and legal personality, observers said they doubt whether the NCFP could ever lure sponsors and raise the reported P1.8 million it needs to finance its alleged trip to Istanbul.

The new federation was even asked to move out of the Philippine Chess Society building in Quezon City, further undermining its claim to legitimacy as the group now operates without even an official address to speak of.

The NCFP is relying on the FIDE Presidential Board nod last August in declaring that it is now the official federation recognized by the world chess body and that it has the right to represent the country in the biennial event which starts Oct. 27.

But the PCF, the FIDE-affiliated local chess body in the last 46 years, clarified that the FIDE grant of affiliation to NCFP was only provisional, meaning the "final admittance" of the new group as a member will only be pronounced by the FIDE General Assembly when it convenes on Nov.3, or seven days after the start of the Olympiad.

In fact, this will be the PCF’s bone of contention in the Congress with Enofre Manuel, the PCF delegate to FIDE, stressing they will contest the FIDE’s attempt to strip the PCF of its membership without due process.

He is expected to be backed up by the other federations, including those from the United States, Canada and the Nordic groups, which have all vowed to support the PCF and question the FIDE Presidential Board approval of the NCFP application in the FIDE Congress.

"We will definitely fight for our rights because under the FIDE Statutes, the FIDE should observe strict neutrality in dealing with the national federations," said Manuel.

"It is very clear in the FIDE Statues that the Presidential Board can only grant a provisional admittance to the NCFP before it could be referred to the General Assembly," he added, citing Chapter 2 (2.2) of the FIDE Statutes.

Manuel further said that under this rule, the NCFP cannot be admitted to play in the Istanbul Olympiad and the group can only achieve a voting status after the General Assembly decides on the matter.

This developed as Manuel said that charges are now being readied against those parties which had a part in what the PCF described as "grand-scale deception," including the Philippine Olympic Committee, whose Executive Board granted recognition to the NCFP posthaste without giving the PCF the proverbial "day in court."

The POC recognition was later used as the basis of the FIDE Presidential Board to grant provisional admittance to the NCFP.

Although Dayrit has washed his hands in public by saying it should be FIDE whom the PCF should complain against, the PCF legal counsel stressed that the POC chief could be held liable for granting recognition to the NCP without giving the PCF an opportunity to be heard on the matter.

The PCF had applied for membership during the terms of POC president Jose Sering and Cristy Ramos but its application was not acted upon because chess is not an Olympic sport.