Eugene Torre, Mark Paragua and Joey Antonio decided to skip the Asian Games qualifier not because they are wary of the opposition but because they believed that the format is risky and degrading to their status as grandmasters.
"We are chess gladiators through and through and we do not run away from a fair fight especially if the country’s honor is on the line," said the three GMs in a joint statement released to media yesterday.
It added: "We are willing to earn our slots in the RP team through elimination but not under the Swiss system because it is flawed, dangerous and demeaning to our stature as grandmasters."
Their absence would result to the Philippines sending the weakest squad in the Asiad, slated Dec. 1-15 in Doha, although GM Nelson Mariano II is among those vying for slots in the Swiss system elims along with the other talented IMs, including Oliver Dimakiling, Ronald Dableo and Darwin Laylo.
The elims will select the two members of the RP chess team to Doha.
The Philippines is trying to atone for its miserable showing in the last SEA Games where it failed to win any gold medal, losing all to regional rival Vietnam.
"Lest we be misunderstood of abandoning the flag and country, we are willing to play under any format that is reliable such as round-robin among others, which we adopted in forming our team that achieved our best ever seventh place finish in the 1988 Thessaloniki World Chess Olympiad, Greece," said Torre.
In fact, the three GMs said most of the strong federations do not conduct elimination tournaments anymore for members of their respective national teams. Instead, they seed their grandmasters and top rated players like, China, India, Indonesia, Qatar, Vietnam, the many Russian Republics and practically all countries in the world.
However, they said they also welcome the idea of giving others the chance, particularly to the younger ones, to represent the country but only in a credible and universally accepted format.
"We hope this will clear the air on our decision not to play in the Swiss elimination. But if this will not satisfy those who doubt us, that is their prerogative. We only wish to clear our names because silence usually means admission of guilt," they said.
Meanwhile, Laylo racked up three straight wins to seize the top spot after seven rounds of qualifying tournament at the Entertainment Hall of SM Mall of Asia.
Laylo outduelled Nelson Villanueva, NM Arlan Cabe and NM John Paul Gomez to grab solo lead in the 11-round tournament.
Laylo, who earned his IM title in the recent Dato Arthur Tan-Malaysian Open chess championship in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, now has 6.5 points on six wins and one draw.
His only draw came at the hands of IM Richard Bitoon in the fourth round last Sunday.
Four players – GM Nelson Mariano, IM Oliver Dimakiling, NM Rolando Nolte and Bitoon – shared second to fifth places with six points.