ASIA’S first grandmaster Eugene Torre hopes to find out soon what chess events will be played in the 2013 Southeast Asian Games amid talk that several non-traditional variations of the game will be included in the calendar.
According to Torre, news has reached him that aside from the standard format, host Myanmar plans to include in the calendar a local version of the game, Asean chess and the Fischer random, which was popularized by Torre's good friend, the late great Bobby Fischer.
“Ang gusto ko lang malaman, ilang medals ang approved so far. Wala pa akong alam na final pero sana, sa next meeting, I heard magkakaroon na. Sana ma-finalize na para makapag-assign na tayo sa mga events,” said Torre in a radio interview.
The SEA Games Federation Council is expected to finalize the events as early as next month, according to the Philippine Olympic Committee.
The Philippines won only one gold medal in the Indonesia Games last year, with the Philippines’ No. 1 player GM Wesley So topping the individual blitz event.
The Philippines placed 21st in the recent World Chess Olympiad in Turkey, with Southeast Asian power Vietnam finishing in seventh. In last year's SEA Games, the Vietnamese woodpushers bagged six gold, two silver and two bronze medals, while the Philippines was second best with a 1-4-3 haul.
“Target namin ngayon ay SEA Games and I’m happy na nasama ang chess (in the calendar),” said Torre in the weekly radio program of the Philippine Olympic Committee over Sports Radio 918.
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