Tuesday, May 11, 2010

De Mortuis Nil Nisi Bonum

Reading the condolences and comments on a couple of websites on the death of Campomanes, you would think that the man was free from the controversies that dogged him. Certainly, one of my own readers showed no mercy, but he was clearly outnumbered. I think that most people basically just opted to be decent: de mortuis nil nisi bonum.

Speak no ill of the dead.

This coming Friday and next Monday in his column for the Philippines' BusinessWorld publication, former RP men's Olympiad team captain Bobby Ang will run a mini series entitled "Campo and I". As Mr Ang promises, it will be "a short recounting of the events which led to the NCFP [National Chess Federation of the Philippines] taking over from PCF [Philippine Chess Federation] as the official governing body of chess in the Philippines".

I'm sure that it will be interesting reading. And perhaps, then, we'll finally get to see some real claws.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

not doubt Campomanes time as FIDE president had controveries, however he did many many good things for chess. That fact he was not from Europe or Russia and became FIDE president speaks volumes of the man. He also did much for chess in the Philippines bringing the great Bobby Fischer there in 1967, for the benefit of Philippine players, helping Torre get his GM title, and he came very close to getting the Philippines the Greastest Match of all time - the $5 million Fischer vs Karpov 1975 World Championship Match. But did get Karpov vs Korchnoi 1978.

The fact Fischer thought highly of him says a lot