Asian League Makes Its First Move
On October 19, the first stage of the international online tournament series “Asian League” took place as part of the large-scale project “Chess Diplomacy”
The Buddhist Chess Tournament held in Elista at the end of September became an important milestone in developing international cooperation for the Moscow Region Chess Federation (MRCF). The event left a lasting legacy — strong friendships were established between MRCF and the chess federations of Asian countries. During the visit of foreign delegations, memorandums of cooperation were signed with Thailand, Nepal, the Philippines, and Laos. The launch of the “Asian League” project became the first practical step toward implementing joint plans and a testament to the seriousness of the parties’ intentions.
Seven teams took part in the first stage of the Asian League. The Philippine Chess Academy claimed victory with a convincing lead. For Russian chess enthusiasts, the Philippines is primarily associated with the legendary 1978 World Championship match in Baguio between Anatoly Karpov and Viktor Korchnoi. However, the recent online competition showed that the country now boasts its own generation of talented players whose names will soon be heard on the international stage.
The silver medal went to the team from Thailand, the country where MRCF’s international chess collaboration first began. Sahapol Nakvanich, President of the Thailand Chess Association and newly elected President of the ASEAN Chess Confederation (as of September 2024), has repeatedly emphasized that partnership with Russian chess players has played a key role in improving the training level of Thai athletes.
The bronze went to the Singapore Chess Club team, which managed to surpass the Moscow Region Chess Federation team by six points after a tense battle. Singapore’s participation highlighted the growing significance of the project for the entire Asian region.
Teams from Myanmar, Nepal, and Laos also demonstrated a high level of preparation and, despite missing out on podium positions, still have strong chances for a comeback in the next rounds.
In the individual competition, 276 players fought for the title of best performer, playing a total of 1,470 games. The tournament winner was Alexander Volodin, a junior player from the “MRCF Friends Team”, which competed outside the general standings. Two prize places went to members of the Thai team — Allan Passon and Danny Maersk Mangao, while Paulo Efren Castino from the Philippine team took third place among Asian representatives.
The Moscow Region Chess Federation closely monitors adherence to sporting ethics and any violations by participants. All games of the leading players were reviewed by arbiters, while the tournament was streamed live with commentary from Russian grandmaster Sergei Shipov and Philippine IM Roderick Nava.
Mr. Konstantin Bazarov, Chief Arbiter of Online Tournaments:
“I carefully analyzed the leaders’ games — no violations were found; all matches were played fairly. It’s clear that well-prepared players took part in the tournament. Congratulations to everyone on the debut event of the Asian League! I hope new teams will join, and the geography of the tournament will continue to expand”.
The Moscow Region Chess Federation congratulates the winners of the online tournament and extends its gratitude to all participants and partners for the high level of organization and the friendly atmosphere of the competition.
Stay tuned for updates and don’t miss the second stage of the “Asian League,” which will take place in November.
🎥Sergei Shipov Rutube
🎥Sergei Shipov на Youtube
🎥Roderick Nava на Youtube