Big chess events

There's still hope that the big chess events in the country previously scheduled by the National Chess Federation of the Philippines (NCFP) would still push through.

Based on the most recently released calendar of events by the NCFP, the 6th Prospero Pichay Jr. International Open will take place next month (August 20-28) at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium. Notice the venue? It's no longer the perennial Duty Free Shop. The new venue has the name "Ninoy Aquino."

Right after the 6th Pichay Cup, the 1st Florencio Campones Memorial International Open will be next (August 28 to September 5), as promised by FIDE presidential re-electionist Kirsan Ilyumzhinov, at the same venue. It's the Ninoy Aquino stadium, right.

Goodbye, PGMA Cup. I guess P-Noy Chess Cup is imperative, which is very much suited to the Ninoy Aquino stadium as its venue.

And who said the 1st Asian Battle of Grandmasters is gone? The NCFP included that much awaited event in the calendar (October 25 to November 3). But no longer at the Ninoy Aquino stadium this time. It will be held in Zambales.

At least, those events are included in the NCFP's new schedule. But with the manner the NCFP is handling its schedules these days, nobody could be sure that any of the events would really take place as scheduled, unless the chief arbiter actually says "Shake hands, time starts" at the venue.

And who knows, there might even be "very-special-events-in-between" those scheduled big tournaments. Watch out!!