Memorandum with the Philippines, where the Karpov-Korchnoi match took place
Alongside with the first Buddhist chess tournament «Spirit of Dharma», MRCF has signed a second Memorandum of cooperation – this time with the National Chess Federation of the Philippines
On September 19, the first Buddhist сhess tournament «Spirit of Dharma» opens in Elista on the eve of the III International Buddhist Forum. Countries that practice Buddhism (Thailand, Myanmar, India, Laos, Nepal, the Philippines), as well as three Russian regions (Kalmykia, Buryatia, and Tuva) sent their teams to international competitions.
The competition includes individual and team rapid and blitz tournaments. Each country’s team consists of one professional chess player, one women player and one amateur, most of whom are leaders of their respective chess federations.
The remote island nation of the Republic of the Philippines is represented at the chess forum by four people. Russian chess fans can’t help but think of the 1978 Baguio match between Soviet world champion Anatoly Karpov and challenger Viktor Korchnoi when they mention the Philippines.
The legendary duel, which formed the basis of the film «World Champion», was then held in an intense struggle that went far beyond the boundaries of the chessboard. Fans were also amazed by the length of the match, which was played up to 6 wins without taking into account draws. So thanks to the then president of FIDE, the Filipino Florencio Campomanes, the opponents literally «registered» in Baguio for several months…
On September 17, before the start of the Buddhist сhess tournament, the Moscow Region Chess Federation signed a Memorandum of cooperation with the National Chess Federation of the Philippines, which includes a large number of areas of joint work.
Commenting on the signing, President of the National Chess Federation of the Philippines Prospero Pichay said: «It is very important for us to rely on representatives of one of the strongest chess powers in these difficult times. We very much hope that the Buddhist Chess Tournament is just the beginning of a long-term and fruitful collaboration. All of us, especially young Filipino chess players, have been following the success of FSHMO President Sergey Karjakin with interest for many years, rooting for him, and many masters have learned from his games in my homeland. Now I have a unique opportunity to personally meet and communicate with the champion, because this will allow me to further popularize chess in my homeland. The visit of the Philippine team to Russia is also an opportunity to get a closer look at the rich culture and history of this country, to see how it lives and dynamically develops. We received an invitation to visit Elista, because Kalmykia is a Buddhist region that is located literally on the other side of the earth. I am sure that thanks to the signed Memorandum, we will be able to visit Moscow more than once, and we are looking forward to seeing our Russian friends in the Philippines! Distance is not a hindrance to friendship, and we will overcome any difficulties together!»
The memorandum signed in Moscow is an important stage of cooperation between the federations of the Moscow Region and the distant island state. The program document involves not only mutual exchanges of delegations and seminars to improve the skills of experienced chess players, coaches and young talents, but also lays the foundations for long-term sports and humanitarian cooperation.
Commenting on the signing of the memorandum, Senator of the Russian Federation, President of the Moscow Region Chess Federation, multiple world champion Sergey Karjakin said: «I am very glad that we were able to prepare and sign this historic document in a short time. For the MRCF, this is another very important step towards expanding cooperation with new regions and countries. The Philippines is a country where chess is loved, where many strong players have already been trained, but the valuable advice and support of coaches from the Moscow region and their active involvement will allow Filipino chess players to further improve their level and join the great heritage of the Soviet and Russian chess schools. I am sure that in the near future I will be able to hold a friendly match between the MRCF friends’ team and Filipino chess players, and then I will give a traditional simultaneous game session to the best players of this match and present memorable gifts and souvenirs. I wish our foreign guests a successful tournament in Elista!»