TWO major chess associations — Professional Chess Association of the Philippines (PCAP) and One Chess Movement (OCM) — have taken a big leap towards chess development by aligning with the newly-established National United Chess Federation of the Philippines (NUCFP).
PCAP, the country’s first and only professional chess league established in 2020, and OCM, the leading chess association dedicated to grassroots chess development all over the country, have agreed to lend a helping hand to NUCFP and its chairman, Manny Pacquiao.
“The PCAP, a fully professional chess league under a dedicated national professional sports licensing body the Games and Amusements Board (GAB), is proud to support the NUCFP, Chairman Manny Pacquiao and all the other chess-loving indivduals in the board,” said PCAP in a statement released to the chess community.
PCAP is also the main organizer of the GM Wesley So Cup chess team championships, an online chess competition featuring 18 professional teams from Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao.
Also backing NUCFP is OCM, a Philippine-based organization that promotes chess for strategy, mental development, and community events.
OCM, which is headed by CEO Ariel B. Potot, has partnered with local groups for the National Open chess tournament and Inter-District chess championship in Iloilo City from November 4-8, which will also honor GM Eugene Torre on his 75th birthday.
More than 30 other chess clubs and associations from different parts of the country have also expressed their support to Pacquiao and the NUCFP.
The latest development followed an earlier pronouncement of So and several top-notch grandmasters, international masters and national masters pledging their support to Pacquiao and his dream of producing more world-class Filipino players.
“We want to leave a legacy to the sport by unifying the community first. We’ve seen so much talent in the country. We have heard the sentiments and frustrations of our fellow athletes. I want to help and contribute,” said Pacquiao, who declined to accept the post of vice president handed to him on a silver platter by the NCFP.
Pacquiao lamented the case of So, who openly blamed corruption as the main culprit in the stagnation of local chess development.
