MARK RUBERY CHESS

Before the 23 year reign of Kirsan Ilyumzhinov as president of the international chess federation (FIDE), there was the equally controversial Florencio Campomanes (1927-2010). His presidency lasted from 1982-1995 and saw him play a major role in two of the greatest world championship matches of the last century: Karpov-korchnoi Baguio 1978 and Karpov-kasparov Moscow 1984-85. In the latter match he made the controversial decision of terminating the contest after 48 games when a rapidly tiring Karpov was leading 5-3.

The 10th world champion has the following to say:

‘Fortunately I had always very correct and friendly relationship with Florencio. I think that in the period of political opposition between West and East he saved the chess world from splitting. He showed his outstanding diplomatic talent – Baguio 1978 – and his further presidentship was evidence of that.’ (Boris Spassky)

As a chess player he was of National Master strength, won the Philippine national championship twice and represented his country at five Chess Olympiads. In the 1958 Munich Olympiad the Philippines played South Africa and Campomanes ably defeated Kurt Dreyer (1909-1981) whose Thursday column in the Johannesburg Star was the main source of chess news for a number of decades.

Olympiad XIII final C PHI-RSA Munich (5) 1958

1.e4 e6 2.d3 d5 3.Nd2 Nf6 4.g3 dxe4 5.dxe4 e5 6.Bg2 Bc5 7.Ngf3 Nc6 8.0–0 Qe7 9.c3 0–0 10.Qe2 a6 11.h3 Nh5 12.Kh2 g6 13.Nc4 f6 14.Ne3 Be6 15.Nd5 Qf7 16.Be3 Bxe3 17.Qxe3 Rad8 18.c4 Nd4 19.Qc3 c6 20.Nb6 g5 21.Rad1 Nxf3+ 22.Bxf3 Ng7 23.b3 h5 24.c5 g4 25.hxg4 hxg4 26.Be2? (The source of all White’s woes. After 26 Bg2 the king is adequately defended there is no scope for attack from Black)…qh5+ 27.Kg1 Kf7 28.f4 Rh8 29.Kf2 Rxd1 30.Bxd1 exf4 31.gxf4 Qh2+ 32.Ke1 Rh3 33.Qd2 Qg3+ 34.Qf2 Qc3+ 35.Qd2 Re3+ 36.Be2 Qxd2+ (36…Qxc5 was more accurate now Dreyer is able to resist) 37.Kxd2 Rxe4 38.Bd3 Rd4 39.Ke3 Rd8 40.f5 Bd5 41.Nxd5 cxd5 42.Kf4 Rh8 43.Kxg4 Rh2 44.Rc1 Rd2 45.Bxa6 (The ‘Dreyerlike’ 45 Bb1 was preferable to the flashy text move)… Rd4+ 46.Kf3 bxa6 47.c6 Nxf5 48.c7 Ne7 49.c8q Nxc8 50.Rxc8 Rd2 51.Rc5 Rxa2 52.Rxd5 Ke6 (From here the future Fide president comfortably converts the ending) 53.Rd8 Ke5 54.Rd7 Rc2 55.Rb7 Rc6 56.Ke3 Kd5 57.Kd3 Re6 58.Rb8 Kc5 59.Kc3 Rd6 60.Re8 Kd5 61.b4 Re6 62.Rh8 f5 63.Kd3 Rb6 64.Rd8+ Ke5 65.Kc4 Rc6+ 66.Kb3 f4 67.b5 axb5 68.Kb4 f3 69.Kxb5 Rf6 70.Rd1 f2 0–1

When I ask President Marcos for two million dollars, at worst he wants to know whether he should bring the money straight away or whether I can wait for a cheque in the post. - Florencio Campomanes

What do you expect from an unrated player? – Florencio Campomanes (on Kasparov’s touch-move controversy against Polgar at Linares ‘94. Kasparov had been recently removed from FIDE’S rating lists.)