The Philippine chess game begins

The MRCF delegation has arrived in the Philippines for the 6th ASEAN+ Championship

The cooperation between our Federation and the distant island nation began quite recently, but it has already yielded significant results. In September, Filipino chess players participated in the first international Buddhist tournament “Spirit of Dharma,” preceding which they signed an important Memorandum of Cooperation with the MRCF. On October 19th, the Philippine team won the first stage of the international online tournament series “Asian Chess League,” launched as part of our large-scale project “Chess Diplomacy.”

And now, in the last days of October, as part of international cooperation, a delegation from the Moscow region has departed for the 6th ASEAN+ Championship, kindly invited by our Filipino friends. The delegation IM Evgenija Ovod, IM Miroslav Vlasenko and WIM Ekaterina Smirnova, who is also serving as the head of the delegation.

The championship will kick off on November 3rd in Ozamis City on the island of Mindanao. Without prior arrangement, our chess players decided to fly in a few days early and make a stop in Manila. After all, the flight is arduous – there are no direct flights, and the journey with a layover takes just under a day. Acclimatization will be beneficial, and it would be a shame to miss the chance to see the Philippine capital. And we must say, they succeeded in this: they explored several districts of the city, immersed themselves in the local culture, and gained a wealth of impressions.

We express our gratitude for the invitation to the Chess Federation of the Philippines and personally to its Vice-President Jason Gonzales, as well as to Veniamin Yarkin, who provided invaluable assistance in organizing this trip!

Photo Report

Fort Santiago – the calling card of the Philippine capital, a Spanish bastion located in the ancient district of Intramuros. The fort is as old as Manila itself; it was built in 1571 by the Spanish navigator and governor Miguel López de Legazpi shortly after the city’s founding.

Nearby flows the Pasig River, offering excellent views from its embankment.

There are many cannons in the ancient forts of Manila, which still look very formidable.

One of the many ancient cathedrals of Intramuros.

Various dangers await the unwary tourist in Manila.

It’s immediately noticeable that the locals love animals very much. There are many well-groomed cats and dogs on the streets, many wearing collars, and they are fed.