Door still open for Torre — GTK

The controversy hounding local chess took another twist yesterday when National Chess Federation of the Philippines president Go Teng Kok said Grandmaster Eugene Torre could still make it to the RP team to this year’s SEA Games.

And that’s even if Torre, Asia’s first grandmaster, pushes through with his plan to withdraw from the qualifying tournament.

Torre, the other day, withdrew from the 16-man National Open grand finals after suspicions were raised that he has been seeded to the five-man standard team that will compete in the SEA Games this November. Torre said he did not want to further complicate matters and considered himself out of the team.

Aside from Torre, six other players were considering their withdrawal from the tournament. They include Grandmaster Bong Villamayor, International Masters Ronald Dableo and Chito Garma and reigning RP junior champion John Paul Gomez.

But Go said he will still include Torre to the team if he believes that the top five players after the qualifying tournament does not represent the best there is in the country. Only four slots are at stake in the qualifying tourney, the fifth being an "option" reserved for any player the NCFP would want to tap later on.

In a press conference the other day, Go said only players who will join the tournament once it resumes will have a chance to be the "option." The tournament was called off last Sunday as it entered its third round due to the controversy and will resume on June 23 at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium.

Go sang a different tune yesterday.

"I will consider Eugene lalu na kung mahina ang No. 5. Player," said the NCFP president who also said those who will not show up on June 23 will be sanctioned by the chess association if they cannot give any valid reason for their absence.

"If they cannot attend, they should have valid reasons. Or we will sanction them. We can take them out of the training pool," said Go, who also heads the RP track and field association.

Go cited Villamayor as an example. The latter can no longer compete in the tournament since his leave of absence from his coaching job in Singapore was only good from May 28-June 13. Villamayor is scheduled to fly back to Singapore this weekend.

Fanning the controversy was the case of GMs Joey Antonio and Nelson Mariano III. They missed the first three rounds of the tournament for failure to fly home on time after competing in a big tournament in the US. The protesting players said the two opening matches of the GMs should be forfeited.

However, the NCFP decided to let them play and reschedule the matches they’ve missed. The matches, including the others that were adjourned during the third round, were supposed to be played yesterday, today and tomorrow. But the NCFP decided otherwise, saying the tournament will resume altogether on June 23.