Manila 1983

Hi guys! How are you all? Bet you had to figure out what we had in 1983? Of course it would have to have happened in the Philippines and it would have be concerning Chess... Guessed it right?

54th FIDE World Congress in Manila Philippines.

So why am I writing about it? and why am feeling like it's my first time to be receiving a gift from Santa?

Because (sounding like someone talking to children asking endlessly about the why's and how's of this place called Earth) I was able to buy 20 copies of the 54th FIDE World Congress Manila 1983 Souvenir Program Booklet. For sure they're out of print and out of our nation's memories except of course for those who live in and die for chess, Philippine Chess. Yeah! yeah! yeah! So what about it? what did I find inside of those BEST BUY-BONUS TYPE acquisition? For a very cheap price, believe me, it's cheaper than your ordinary 4 kilometer jeepney ride fare, I got to read inside of the following articles entitled:

- FIDE in Manila, Bringing World Chess into the 21st Centuryby Alex Dacanay
- Congress Sidelights by Toti Abundo
- Schedule of FIDE Championships1983-1993
- CAMPO by Al Mendoza (you should see the caricature-esque drawing by NIK Ricio, Jess Abrera)
- After Five Centuries, The Philippines is Chess Country by Aida Sevilla Mendoza( D' History!)
- Grassroots Chess by Toti Abundo, Photography by Manny Santos

Of course, I intentionally left out above the photos of GM E. Torre. My God, so young back then. Not to mention the last page which featured our National Artist Larry Alcala caricatures entitled 54th World Chess Congress.

I will be posting here aida Sevilla Mendoza's article. Boy oh boy! full of details about Philippine Chess History. I'll be writing down the article in full next time.

After some weeks of reading nothing except this booklet, I said hey, why, of all places, I found such treasure in Ayala Museum? Mr. Enrique Zobel happened to be the Chairman of Philippine Chess Federation during that time.

In 1983, I was 7 years old and I was only learning to trick my opponents with Knight Forks but was'nt really playing chess the way whiz kids do it now. I didn't even know that there was this Philippine Chess Federation, nor did I thought of writing about Philippine Chess (trying!). But for sure, that souvenir program made things sunny for me and the rest of Philippine Chess.

Till then!