Another PH junior chess player suspended for fair play violation

MANILA, Philippines – An ASEAN age-group champion has been disqualified by online chess portal chess.com for violating its fair play policy, the National Chess Federation of the Philippines (NCFP) announced.

Eric Labog Jr, the 2019 ASEAN Age Group winner in the under-18 division and a Palarong Pambansa titlist, was banned for 3 months starting Friday, May 15.

The fair play policy is a generally worded term to say the player received help during a game.

The decision came just days after the suspension of 3 Filipinos – including Rizalyn Tejada, the winner of the girls’ eliminations in the Asian Junior Championship – for the same infraction. 

The NCFP said it is standing by the decision of chess.com even if Labog was touted as one of the bets to contend for the Asian Junior online championship.

“[We] have to apply the rule that if your account at chess.com is closed, you will be banned for 3 months from all NCFP tournaments,” the NCFP statement said

Chester Neil Reyes, who placed 4th in the qualifying tournament, will take Labog’s place in the Asian Junior chess championship online, the NCFP said.

The 15-year-old Reyes, a Grade 9 student of National University’s high school, will join International Masters John Marvin Miciano and Daniel Quizon in the regional online tournament tentatively set May 24.

Reyes is the youngest of 4 chess-playing brothers, including National Master Arden Reyes.

Following the recent cases, the NCFP has instituted measures to catch players using chess engines in online games by ordering them to play in front of a camera, use microphones, and not leave their seats during a game. – Rappler.com