Obituary: Mr. Abundo (1950-2025)

The global chess community mourns the passing of Mr. Abundo, a respected arbiter, organizer, and former FIDE General Secretary whose lifelong dedication profoundly shaped modern chess administration and transparency in FIDE.

Mr. Abundo’s journey in chess officiating began unexpectedly during his university years. While competing in the preliminary stage of the Philippine Chess Championship, he took an early interest in the Swiss System and created his own pairing cards to anticipate his next opponents. His talent was quickly recognized by the late Florencio Campomanes, who told him, “You will be the chief arbiter of the next stage.” He replied, “But I’ll qualify and play there.” Anyhow, Mr. Abundo, fortunately or unfortunately, did not qualify and was appointed Chief Arbiter of the next stage of the championship, an opportunity that marked the beginning of a distinguished career as a chess arbiter.

In 1984, Mr. Abundo served as arbiter and voluntary press officer at the Thessaloniki Olympiad, where manual calculations and adjourned games made accurate standings difficult to produce. His ability to deliver correct rankings earned admiration from Mr. Makropoulos, President of the Greek Chess Federation. His method, taking into account late resignations in adjourned games before the deadline when players resigned before leaving the hall, demonstrated both his attention to detail and his deep understanding of tournament realities.

During Campomanes’ tenure as FIDE President, Mr. Abundo rose to become FIDE General Secretary, where he made pioneering contributions to the organization’s rating system. He was the first to advocate calculating rating lists by computer and strongly promoted complete transparency by publishing all calculations and sending them to all member federations. His vision laid the foundation for the trusted and widely respected FIDE rating system used today.

Throughout his career, he officiated numerous international competitions, including serving as Chief Arbiter in the 2000 World Chess Championship in Delhi and Tehran, one of the highest honors for a chess arbiter.

From 2006, a new leadership team was elected for the Asian Chess Federation, headed by Sheikh Sultan Bin Khalifa Al Nahyan and General Secretary Mr. Hisham Al-Taher. Mr. Abundo served first as Vice President and later as Executive Director of the federation. He tirelessly supported and promoted all chess activities across Asia, and the remarkable growth of Asian chess since 2006 stands as a testament to his dedication and effectiveness.

In the final years of his life, Mr. Abundo conducted numerous FIDE Arbiter Seminars, firmly believing that he had a responsibility to pass on his experience to the next generation of arbiters. He prepared extensive documents, videos, polls, and quizzes to ensure that every participant gained sufficient knowledge. Whenever a candidate failed to answer a question correctly, he reflected on how he could improve his teaching methods for future seminars. Tragically, he passed away in the middle of conducting his first IA Certification Seminar while working to create the best possible educational materials.

Mr. Abundo was widely admired for his diplomacy and his steadfast belief that “FIDE will be strong if the national federations are strong.” He upheld these principles in every aspect of his work.

Even in the final days of his life, he continued discussing new ways to stimulate chess activity and improve tournament organisation. His passion for the game, commitment to fairness, and dedication to transparency will remain an enduring part of his legacy. He always supported new ideas that could raise chess to a higher level.

Mr. Abundo will be remembered with deep respect and gratitude by colleagues, players, and federations around the world.

by Mehrdad Pahlevanzedah