MANILA, 13 June 2003 — The National Chess Federation of the Philippines (NCFP) is confident the RP women’s chess team will be a formidable fighting unit in the coming Southeast Asian Games in Hanoi, Vietnam.

The national chess players include Woman International Masters Cristine Mariano, Beverly Mendoza and Fide Woman Master Sheerie Joy Lomibao.

NCFP president Matt Defensor said the Filipina woodpushers will be whipped into fighting form with barely six months before the Dec. 5-13 regional sporting conclave.

But Defensor said the women’s training continues to be halted due to the controversy on the alleged misuse of Philippine Amusements and Gaming Corp. (Pagcor) funds intended for the 2000 Istanbul Olympics.

The NCFP has been trying to keep itself financially afloat since it replaced the defunct Philippine Chess Federation as the official chess organization of the country.

“We’re actually facing more expenses than revenues these days. We’ve just finished our inter-cities and now may ongoing juniors (National) tournament. Secretary (Roilo) Golez is already involved in our fund-raising. Hopefully, money will come in,” Defensor said.

Despite the apparent demoralization of the female chessers brought about by their rift with some officials of the NCFP, chess officials remain optimistic the women’s chess team could still catch up with its build up for the Vietnam competition.

“Our feeling right now is we need to do our homework, particularly in the women’s chess team,” said Defensor.

“Now that we’ve heard the other side of the coin, we will soon be calling the women’s team to hear its side on the issue of the funding. In fact, Sammy (Estimo, NCFP secretary general) wants to expand the Executive Committee by including some of the national women’s players,” Defensor said. The transparency issue remains a hot topic, according to Defensor, but he is making sure the auditing of the funds within the chess federation will be fast-tracked so a report is completed soon.

Defensor admitted the women’s chess team is in dire need of a “shot at the arm” to figure well against the Vietnamese in the biennial conclave.

“We need to do our own homework in the women’s team,” said Defensor.

Vietnam remains a strong force to contend with in the upcoming SEA Games, both in the men’s and women’s divisions.

Defensor said he has directed RP national coach Rodolfo Tan Cardoso to resume training, while GM Bong Villamayor, a member of the players council, will also be helping the women’s team in its preparation for the SEA Games.

Villamayor, then an International Master, coached the women’s national team to a decent 30th place in the 1996 Yerevan Olympiad in Armenia.

Defensor has been spending a lot of time trying to fix the growing rift between the RP women’s chess team and the NCFP’s players council head and Grand Master Eugene Torre.

Torre was accused of lacking in transparency by the women’s national chess team as the Filipino Grand Master purportedly failed to justify his use of the Pagcor funds originally intended for the 2000 Istanbul Chess Olympiad.

Torre, Asia’s first GM and former president of the NCFP when he made the request for the Istanbul fund, said that he already spent the 824,500 pesos Pagcor money in paying the debts of the NCFP.

Despite the lack of preparation, the women’s chess team managed to land in 36th place in the Olympiad, while the men’s team, then reeling from a court battle with the now defunct Philippine Chess Federation, wound up at a respectable 17th place.

Defensor said the SEA Games build-up would be boosted by the acquisition of five lap top computers from the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC), which NCFP secretary general Sammy Estimo requested last February.

The computers, according to GM Joey Antonio in a previous interview, is vital in their preparation for the SEA Games, considering the Philippine chess team has had little or no international exposure.

Villamayor has been asked to assist Mariano and the rest of the women’s team as they prepare for the Vietnam joust. Villamayor, then an International master, handled the women’s national team in the 1996 Yerevan Olympiad.

“But of course, we’ll still keep Rudy Cardoso as the national head coach. The five lap top computers would be a big help in our preparation since we’re behind already,” Defensor said.

Vietnam, which is hosting the SEA Games this year, is already much ahead of the Philippine chess team preparation-wise. Vietnam’s top chess player, GM Dao Thien Hai and Nguyen Anh Dung, are strong contenders for the former communist country.

Dao grabbed a gold medal in the recent Asian Team championships, while Nguyen was the champion in the last Commonwealth Games in India. Aside from Vietnam, the Philippines also had to contend with Indonesia’s super GM Utut Adianto, who ranks second in the Fide rating for Southeast Asian nations.

Dao and Utut have actually qualified for the World Championships after finishing in top 10 in the Asian Chess Championships held last March.

Meanwhile, PSC chairman Eric Buhain assured that request for funds have been approved for the RP chessers battle in the Asian Zonals 3.2a set June 20 in Vietnam.

Torre said their request for 500,000 pesos has yet to be approved although Buhain said that he has already signed the voucher pertaining to the NCFP request a few days ago.

Torre mentioned that the NCFP is also seeking help from friends of the sport like the Philippine Chess Society, which during the time of the heydays of the PCF, generously supported the national team’s cause.

Torre, Asia’s first GM, along with fellow grand masters Villamayor and Rogelio “Joey” Antonio as well as International Master Mark Paragua, banner the national men’s team in this year’s Zonals.

Villamayor bared an ambitious developmental plan which he hopes would start the chess renaissance in the country.

Villamayor said he prepared the draft as early as 1998 when he was still an International Master and has since completed the details of the plan.