RP to stage 40-nation Asian cities chessfest

World-class chess returns to the country with the staging of the 14th Asian Cities Chess Team Championship set March 20-28 in Manila with over 40 countries expected to vie for the prestigious Dubai Cup.

"The hosting of the 14th Asian Cities Team Championship is another big coup for us. This is recognition of our ability to organize an international event of this magnitude," said Mat Defensor, president of the organizing National Chess Federation of the Philippines.

To ensure the success of the event, Defensor appointed Casto Abundo, World Chess Federation (FIDE) Ratings administrator and international arbiter as tournament project director.

"With Abundo taking charge, I know the event is in capable hands," Defensor said.

According to Abundo, the competition is open to teams from the FIDE Asian-Oceania zones.

"Invitations have been sent to Bahrain, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Palestine, Qatar, Syria, United Arab Emirates, Yemen, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Brunei, Cambodia, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Japan, Macau, Malaysia, Mongolia, Myanmar, Singapore, Korea, Thailand, Vietnam, Australia, Fiji, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, China, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan and Uzbekisan," Abundo said.

This early, Kazakhstan has already confirmed its participation in the tournament, Abundo added.

Countries are allowed to field as many as three teams in the Asian Cities championship while the Philippines, as host, will have four teams — Manila, Mandaluyong, Pasay and Tanauan — competing in the event.

The RP squads include the topnotchers in the last Inter-Cities competition held in October last year and will be bannered by the country’s top players, led by Grandmasters Eugene Torre, Joey Antonio and Bong Villamayor and International Masters Mark Paragua and Ronald Dableo, the reigning Asian Zonal and national champion.

Coming on the heels of the country’s fruitful stint in the last Vietnam Southeast Asian Games where the Filipinos won three golds, Defensor said "I am hopeful of victory in the Asian Cities."

Defending champion is the Kazakhstan city of Pavlodar which has won the Dubai Cup twice in a row — 2000 and 2002 — and boasts of top GM’s Pavel Kotsur, Evgeny Vladimirov and Alibek Ibragimov.

On top of cash prizes totaling P300,000 up for grabs, the teams seeing action in the Asian Cities will seek to return home with the coveted Dubai Cup, a handsome trophy made of pure gold and silver that weighs nearly five kilos and costs fifty thousand dirhams (roughly P.75 million).

The Dubai Cup was first awarded in 1989 when the competition was held in the United Arab Emirates city.

Abundo said teams should confirm their participation by Jan. 31 and their final lineup in by Feb. 20.