Chess in Asia - Philippines & Brunei

Chess in the Philippines - Tarrasch Knight Chess Club in Manila

The Philippines are considered the number 1 Asian gambling nation. Chess usually has relatively little to do with gambling, but in the center of the capital Manila, chess and gambling can be combined. In the "Guadalupe Commercial Complex" shopping center, not far from the Makati City district (which is considered relatively safe for first-time visitors to Manila and for the Philippines), you can play chess almost around the clock - not just for fun, but also for small amounts of money! The shopping center is easily accessible by public transport or taxi apps such as Bolt and is open from 9:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. every day (including Sundays ;-) ).

Jeepneys are also considered normal public transport!

These are distinctive, colorful vehicles that are ubiquitous in the Philippines and offer a unique way to explore the cities. For a basic fee of around €1 per hour, which is recorded on a small piece of paper, you can duel with everyone present in the shopping center. For each game, you can then agree with your opponents how much you want to play for. In addition to the official language, Tagalog, most of them also speak English well, and some also speak Spanish (at least in the Guadalupe district).

When I visited in the afternoon, many chess boards were occupied and there were some blitz specialists there: In my first two-round blitz duel, I played against a national champion with around 2000-2100 Elo. There were also strong opponents in other games. The locals said I should come back the next day because even stronger players would come who wanted to duel. The atmosphere in the busy shopping center is also reflected in the Tarrasch Knight Chess Club, which is usually run by a young man who said that it fills up from 10-11 a.m. every day.

In Manila you can find numerous blitz chess specialists who also like to play for smaller amounts.

Many players stream happily through the chess club, the game is played on plastic boards with mostly neon green clocks with large buttons (see picture above), which I have never seen live before. After a few moves, however, you get used to the mechanism of the clocks, which fits perfectly into the overall picture. Due to the small amounts of money, the game is played quite seriously and without much talk - during one argument I witnessed it got a bit loud, but everything was still within normal limits. Between games, people like to exchange a few words and this is a good opportunity to start a conversation with the locals. Filipinos are known for their hospitality and warmth. This is due to the strong sense of community and the close family ties that exist in Filipino culture. Even before the Philippines were colonized by the Spanish, their ancestors had this trait. They always smile and remain positive in every situation.

The Tarrasch Knight Chess Club is located in Manila in the Guadalupe Commercial Complex. The games are played using neon-colored clocks with large buttons.

The Philippines are also the only Asian nation that is predominantly Christian. More than 86% of the population identify as Roman Catholic and the religion still has a great influence on the country. A chess player who plans to travel to Manila should visit the Tarrasch Knight Chess Club and its exceptional atmosphere.

Chess in Brunei - hospitale people

The very hospitable people of Brunei make the country a unique travel destination: upon arrival, the accommodation offered a free shuttle from the airport to the hotel and from there to the main attractions of the country. After contacting FM Aliuddin Azahari, the head of the Bruneian Chess Centre, his chess friend CM Hafizon Pg offered to meet shortly after arrival and visit the country's sights by car.

FIDE Master Aliuddin Azahari heads Brunei's only Chess Federation chess centre, which is located in the same building as the Brunei Darussalam Tennis Association between the airport and the city centre. On the other two pictures you can see the Omar Ali Saifuddien Mosque & Kampung Ayer, a prominent traditional settlement in Bandar Seri Begawan.

Before one enters the chess centre, one can find this big banner

The Brunei Chess Centre was found on 9th May, 2006

Inside the Brunei Chess Centre

The chess club organizes training sessions and tournaments several times a week, each led by FM Azahari. In addition, he trains the Women's national team, which will also to take part in the upcoming Chess Olympiad in Budapest.

Besides the chess club, locals also meet near the Blue Knight Cafe to play some Blitz games in the evenings

If you are planning a trip to Southeast Asia, you should make a short stopover in Brunei to be amazed by Brunei's natural beauty and hospitality.