Outshine

I can't help feeling a little sorry for the timing of staging the 1st Gov. Aurelio Umali Cup National Open Chess Championship which is set to run from January 21 to 27, 2009 in Palayan City in Nueva Ecija.

The event is supposed to be the first grand event by the National Chess Federation of the Philippines (NCFP) to start their programs for 2009.

Yes, the event is "grand." Consider these:

"At stake is a grand prize of P200,000 and trophy to the champion.The runner-up and the third placer will earn P100,000 and P80,000 and trophies, respectively.The fourth and fifth placers will bring home P70,000 and trophy and P60,000 and trophy.

"Other cash prizes are: Sixth placer, P50,000; seventh placer P40,000; eighth placer P30,000; ninth placer P20,000; 10 th placer P15,000; 11 th placer P10,000; 12 th placer P9,000; 13th placer P8,000; 14th placer P7,000; 15th placer P6,000; and 16 th to 25th placers P5,000 each.

"The top three finishers in different categories will also get consolation prizes.These are:Top female – P10,000 first; P6,000 second; and P4,000 third.Top non-master – P7,000, P5,000, P3,000.Top under-14 – P7,000, P5,000 , P3,000.Top senior – P7,000, P5,000, P3,000.Top Nueva Ecijano – P7,000, P5,000, P3,000.Top under-14 Nueva Ecijano – P7,000, P5,000, P3,000."

Also, what makes the event "grand" is the list of participants. Participants include GM Torre, GM Gomez, GM Paragua, GM Buenaventura, GM Laylo, GM Gonzales and other "big" names.

But what makes the event not SO "grand" is the absence of GM Wesley So who is now competing in Group C of Corus Chess 2009 in the Netherlands.

A little bit of bad timing, let me say. The supposed first grand event by the NCFP this year coincides with a much more exciting international event where the country's No.1 player is participating.

Of course, the 1st Umali Cup will go full swing with or without Wesley. And exciting? I'm not sure.

I may hurt a lot of other people's feelings, but a supposed "grand" tournament in the land without Wesley in the list makes it not that SO "grand" after all.

We cannot blame the Filipino chess community if it follows the happenings in Corus more than in the Umali Cup.

The reason: Wesley is playing in Corus. Ahh, this nation simply craves for a hero. This nation craves for somebody who can give them inspiration especially during these times of global crisis.

Another reason: the Corus event, although miles and miles away from the Philippines, seems closer than the Umali Cup due to its effective online coverage. Corus is complete with details, updates, etc.

I call on the NCFP to please, please, please improve on the coverage of its own events. NCFP's supposed first grand tournament for the year is about to begin but all I could see in its official webpage is its month-old press release about the Umali Cup.

I don't have to doubt that a single name -- GM Wesley So -- can outshine the totality of NCFP's first "grand" event for the year.