Casto Abundo has passed away at the age of 75. Casto (Toti to his friends) was a fixture on the international chess scene for the past 50 years, as a tournament arbiter, organiser and administrator. Initially a trusted colleague of Florencio Campomanes, Toti filled a number of important roles in FIDE. He was FIDE General Secretary from 1888-1990 as well as FIDE Excutive Director from 1994-1998. Even after Campomanes retirement, Toti stayed on, being a member of the FIDE Rules commission, FIDE Qualification Commission as well as serving as Executive Director of the Asian Chess Federation.
As an Arbiter he was the Chief Arbiter for the 2000 World Championship Match and the 2001 World Cup. He was one of the organisers of the 1992 Chess Olympiad, and was an active FIDE Arbiter Lecturer. Although he had suffered ill health in recent years, he remained active in the chess world, organising events, and conducting arbiter trainer courses.
As a member of the Qualification Commission he provided valuable information on the history of previous decisions of QC, and insight into what federations or organisations needed in terms of rating and title services. He was also a strong player in his own right, being rated 2175 at the time of his passing.
His loss will be felt throughout the chess community, especially in the Asian region, and across the many FIDE Commissions and committees.
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