Ex-FIDE president Florencio Campomanes dies in Baguio
By Marlon Bernardino
Cebu Daily News
First Posted 08:18:00 05/04/2010
FORMER FIDE President Florencio Campomanes died yesterday after a lingering illness. He was 83. The chess icon, who stunned the world by capturing the FIDE presidency as an underdog in 1982 in Lucerne, Switzerland, breathed his last at 1:30 p.m. at Iggy’s Inn in Baguio City.
“He moved on peacefully, and with quiet gentleness all around him,” said sportsman Des Bautista, owner of Iggy’s Inn. “He was a giant in Philippine sports and his passing created a void that will be hard to fill in.”
Bautista and Campomanes – Pocamps to his dear friends – had been bosom buddies since the 1960s.
Asia’s first Grandmaster Eugene Torre said he was honored to have known Campomanes and was deeply saddened of his passing.
Campomanes’ former legal counsel lawyer Samuel Estimo whose bitter falling out with the former made sports headlines years ago said: “I mourn the death of Mr. Campomanes. He was like a second father to me. All local chessers who rose to fame owe their success to him. And he widened the base of chess worldwide by inviting all chess-developing nations to FIDE. I haven’t seen and admired one like him. He’s a big loss to the chess world.”
“We had our quarrels but we maintained mutual respect for each other. I texted and made peace with him a long time a ago. My only regret was I was not able to play poker with him when he invited GM Torre and me to a session some three weeks ago,” added Estimo.
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Ok..
By the way, have you ever heard about yummy-cebu.com? I hear they just started a new contest called Mama’s day out!
The good die young.
The bad, well, they finally croak old.
Campo’s legacy of abuse of power and ill gotten wealth, far more outweighs his positive contribution to chess.
To be honest, Eugene Torre was the only lucky talent that blossomed under his helm.
Philippine chess, once the tops in Asia, wallowed throughout Campo’s leadership.
May the Goddess of Chess Caissa, and the departed chess players waiting to take a crack at Campo in chess nirvana or hell have mercy on him.
At least they are even now.
I second the motion! He never gave me my prize money.