National Chess FIDE Trainers’ Asian Chess Federation FIDE Federation of Commission Philippines

FIDE Trainers’ Seminar for

FIDE Trainer Titles

From 21st to 25th May 2013 a FIDE Trainers’ Seminar was held in Manila, Philippines. The event took place in hotel ‘Midas’, where the Asian Continental Championships were parallel held as well. The seminar was held for 26 hours in 5 days and the Lecturer was GM & FST Efstratios Grivas (Greece - Secretary of the FIDE Trainers’ Commission), assisted by the first ever Asian GM (& FST) Eugene Torre and GM & FT Jayson Gonzales (both Philippines).

From left to right: 2nd: Jayson Gonzales, 3rd: Efstratios Grivas and 5th: Eugune Torre.

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In the seminar 33 trainers, mainly from Philippines, but also, from Malaysia, Mongolia, Indonesia and Vietnam, participated. Here is the ‘family’ photo from the event:

The seminar was sponsored by the ‘Asian Chess Federation’. Its active General Secretary Mr. Hisham Al-Taher (next photo - 2nd from left) is always willing to help the development of the Asian countries.

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As some participants stated, it was a joyful and quite educational seminar. A sample from the feedback of the participants is illuminating:

GM Grivas, I am an employee of the Department of Education under the School Sports Events and Activities Unit (SSEAU). The SSEAU handles the school sports program of the Department and manages the conduct of Palarong Pambansa wherein Chess is one of the sports events. In addition to this, the SSEAU also conducts seminar and training for Physical Education teachers and coaches every year. This is to update or refresh the teachers and/or coaches on the latest development of their respective sports and on what to teach their students and athletes. As an International FIDE Arbiter, I am part of the training staff for Chess. This program of the World Chess Federation, the Seminar for Accredited FIDE Trainers which was designed to educate and accredit Chess Trainers in the international method of teaching chess to various levels of students and ages, will not only benefit me, but the Department of Education, the teachers, coaches and most of all the student-athletes. If given the chance to secure the most sought after “FIDE Trainer and/or FIDE Instructor titles”, the knowledge that I have acquired from this Seminar will be conveyed to my fellow Chess trainers, teachers and coaches of the different schools from the 17 regions and will eventually be taught to our students especially the Chess lovers. IA Edmon Prado

Dear GM Grivas, Thank you for everything. The seminar was very instructive and entertaining with your anecdotes and jokes. I hope we will meet again in the future. Regards IM Jimmy Liew

Thank you so much GM Efstratios for sharing with us this wonderful experience and knowledge. Hope to see you again by the time I will be upgrading to the next level. Thank you so much! NM Rudy Ibanez

Sir Grivas,By now you are probably reading this from Dubai! I just wanted to take this opportunity, on behalf of my husband (IM Idel Datu) and myself, to say thank you for a very insightful and interesting learning experience! Your lessons, lectures, and anecdotes gave us new insights to and appreciation for chess training. We hope in turn that you've enjoyed your stay in the Philippines and return again someday either for leisure or to spread more of your trainer-wisdom. Best Regards, Chiara Datu

A nice touch with Efstratios and two of the participants, James Infiesto (left) and Idelfonso Datu (right).

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Well, 26 training hours was already a good experience for the trainees, but there also an examination and FIDE titles to be awarded as well. Here is the final table (DI= Developmental Instructor – NI= National Instructor – FI= FIDE Instructor – FT= FIDE Trainer):

Titles’ Award Table N Surname Name Birth Country FIDE ID Award 1 Bitantes Jesus 25.03.1979 Philippines 5216885 DI 2 Cadiz Arnolito 26.04.1967 Philippines 5217296 NI 3 Caluya Ralph 03.06.1973 Philippines 5208890 DI 4 Carag Erwin 26.03.1967 Philippines 5200423 FI 5 Carandang Roberto 19.01.1979 Philippines 5204925 DI 6 Carlos Leo 22.11.1979 Philippines 5207274 FT 7 Castro Dari 19.11.1962 Philippines DI 8 Cudiamat Enriquito 14.07.1968 Philippines NI 9 Datu Chiara Reina 03.06.1983 Philippines 5217768 NI 10 Datu Idelfonso 12.06.1972 Philippines 5201101 FT 11 Dungca Ryan 21.08.1983 Philippines 5202140 NI 12 Garcia Neal Jerusalem 22.07.1988 Philippines DI 13 Gotel Michael 13.02.1973 Philippines 5207347 FI 14 Hicap Joel Anthony 17.03.1967 Philippines FI 15 Ibanez Rudy 25.01.1958 Philippines 5202698 FI 16 Infiesto James 24.06.1968 Philippines 5205670 NI 17 Lam Minh Chau 07.03.1967 Vietnam 12402095 NI 18 Lao Elias 17.02.1948 Philippines 5200377 FI 19 Liew Jimmy 19.11.1958 Malaysia 5700019 FT 20 Lopez Florante 16.01.1968 Philippines 5216893 DI 21 Lubis Endar Saktri 29.08.1977 Indonesia 7102062 FI 22 Marcial Augusto 24.08.1958 Philippines 5201810 NI 23 Navaja Luis 12.02.1962 Philippines 5211379 DI 24 Neri Susan Grace 07.11.1991 Philippines 5205158 DI 25 Neri Wilfredo 08.12.1966 Philippines 5210143 FI 26 Perez Ilann 04.08.1959 Philippines 5203341 DI 27 Poloyapoy Felix Jr. 12.02.1977 Philippines 5210208 ΝΙ 28 Prado Edmon Grey 28.04.1973 Philippines 5208882 DI 29 Quezon Alan 18.03.1968 Philippines DI 30 Samaniego Hermilo 27.12.1949 Philippines 5215226 DI 31 Sharavdorj Dashzegve 21.10.1974 Mongolia 4900340 FT 32 Silva Winston 03.10.1977 Philippines 5210542 FI 33 Tumbaga Eliseo 17.05.1954 Philippines 5213193 NI

The seminar was co-organised by FIDE, the Asian Chess Federation, the FIDE Trainers’ Commission (TRG), the National Chess Federation of Philippines, the Florencio Campomanes Chess Academy and the Eugene Torre Chess Foundation, Inc..

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In the last day the first stone ceremony in the prestigious-to-be- Eugene Torre Chess Foundation, Inc. was on the cards. Grivas, Torre, Kuzmin, Abundo and many others had to work hard (for another one time) under the hot Philippino sun! Here are the evidences:

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The closing ceremony was honoured by the National Chess Federation of Philippines President Mr. Prospero A. Pichay, Jr.. He (2nd from right) delivered a nice speech and the diplomas of participation to every one of the 33 participants:

I had a wonderful experience in the Manila seminar and I feel like thanking everybody who made it possible! I promised to return in the near future for more training and more experience to be gained by everybody! Thanks Philippines!

See you soon,

GM & FST Efstratios Grivas

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