The best finish ever for the Philippine Chess Team was in the 1988 World Chess Olympiad held in Tessaloniki, Greece. Led by my “agaw” GM Eugene Torre (who’s currently in his 22nd Olympiad stint in Tromso, Norway) the National Team placed seventh. Well, that year Russia did not break yet to so many states including Georgia, and Ajerbaijan. As I write this column, the Philippines bowed to Belgium, 1.5-2.5 to put the Nationals at 76th to 98th places among 177 entries. The absence of GM Wesley So, who defected to the United States, greatly affected the PH lineup. Also missing in action is GM Banjo Barcenilla and GM Joey Antonio. Fresh faces in Paulo Bersamina and Julio Sadorra are just not enough to hurdle their opponents. When this column comes out, we will know if we survived Bangladesh, which the PH team encountered last night. In 1992, I was sent to Baguio City by PSC chair Cecil Hechanova to train the Philippine Team physically so they could last the grueling six-hour matches in an Olympic event. We were preparing for the Manila World Chess Olympics then. The team included Torre, then IM Joey Antonio, Rico Mascarinas, Banjo Barcenilla, Eric Gloria, Econg Sevillano, Rolando Nolte, Ricky De Guzman, the late Ruben Rodriguez, Chito Garma, Manny Senador, Rodrigo Atutubo, among others. I had the oppurtunity to meet world champions Garry Kasparov, Vissy Anand, Vladimir Kramnick, Victor Kortchnoi and Vassily Ivanchuk. We ended up in the top 30 places with Russia, emerging as champion. Sad to say our team this year is a cheese team (imported cheese has holes). If there’s some consolation, our women’s team trounced Egypt 3-1 to place 43rd among 146 bets. Not bad at all.
ASIAN GAMES
It’s quite ambitious, but don’t look now, the Philippines might just host the 2019 Asian games after the country’s first and only hosting of the quadrennial event. We will know before the end of the month if we could still join the bidding when my “kababayan” and good friend PSC Chair Richie Garcia and POC chief Peping Cojuangco leave for the Youth Olympic Games set August 16-28 in Nanjing, China, where the PH is fielding seven athletes. The last time that we hosted the event was in 1954 when Ramon Magsaysay was president then. Compared to this year’s Asian Games where 9,000 athletes are set to compete, the 1954 AG drew 970. But do we have the facilities to host such a big event? Cojuangco said the Philippine Arena in Bocaue, Bulacan built by Iglesia Ni Kristo at a cost of $200 million, can be a perfect venue.
NOTE: Greetings to the crew of Jollibee-Super Metro Basak especially to super friendly Nina Jabonero Regner and Lloyd Escorcha, the outlet is managed by Al San Diego, a runner himself.