(955) HERNANDEZ, CABUSO SCORE 5 STRAIGHT (TBN-May 18, 2015)

:   IDENTICAL 5-0 WIN-LOSS SLATE

                    Roberto Hernandez, right, and Rustum Cabuso, 2^nd from right, both sport a 5-0 win-loss card after 5 rounds of play in the Opening Day of 2015 Palau Blitz Chess Championship. Roberto nips Cyril Montel, Jr., left, in this 5^th round photo while Rustum drubbed Gonzalo Escapatoria, Jr. The 2-week event will conclude on Sunday, May 17 at Bethlehem Park.        (Photo by Roberto Hernandez)



             HERNANDEZ, CABUSO
               SCORE  5  STRAIGHT
      

THE 2015 PALAU Blitz Chess Championship started on May 10 at Bethlehem Park. Only 15 players made it –10 senior players, 2 women and 3 juniors. They are top seed Tito Cabunagan (1813 FIDE Blitz Rating), 2^nd seed Cyril Montel, Jr. (1785), 3^rd seed Roberto Hernandez (1776), 4^th seed CM Bernardo Garcia (1732-Standard rating), 5^th seed Rustum Cabuso (1674), 6^th seed Dennis Gonzales (1671), 7^th seed Eugene Labarda (1641), 8^th seed Gonzalo Escapatoria, Jr. (1608), 9^th seed Angelica Parrado (1585) 10^th seed Jeffrey Balbalosa (1551), 11^th seed Destiny Sisior (1529), 12^th seed Baby Edna Mission 13^th seed Angelil Sisior, 14^th seed Robert Godwin Sola (1341) and newcomer Rey Sanchez.

The couple Rafael Paloma and Gladys Anne Paloma informed that they will come at 3:30. They missed this event that started at 3:00pm. Had they paid their $10.00 registration fee earlier, they should have been included in the pairings and just forfeit the 1st round. One of the strict policies of this event is "NO PAY, NO PLAY". In the previous first 12 years of Palau chess competitions, some players were allowed to play even without paying their registration fee. Some never paid when they see that there is no chance for them to get some prizes. Some took 2 years to pay a measly sum of $10.00. Dennis Gonzales, the current Treasurer of Palau Chess Federation, is always the first one to pay his registration fees in all the chess competitions in Palau that he participated in. The number of participants is odd number so the number 15 had a first round bye (automatic win--1 point).

RESULTS OF 1^ST ROUND:

Top seed Tito Cabunagan lost to 8th seed Gonzalo Escapatoria, Jr. at Board 1 while at Board 2, 2nd seed Cyril Montel, Jr. clobbered 9th seed Angelica Parrado. 3rd seed Roberto Hernandez nipped 10th seed Jeffrey Balbalosa in their French Defence encounter. 4th seed CM Bernardo Garcia subdued 11th seed Destiny Sisior while 5th seed Rustum Cabuso is off to a good start by trouncing Baby Edna Mission. 6th seed Dennis Gonzales made short work of Angelil Sisior and 7th seed Eugene Labarda touted 14th seed Robert Godwin Sola. Newcomer Rey Sanchez had a bye.

                Roberto won his 2^nd round match against Parrado (Sicilian Defence); his 3^rd round match against Escapatoria, Jr.; the 4^th round clash with Gonzales and the 5^th round game against Montel, Jr. to tie Cabuso for the lead with an identical score of 5 wins and no losses. They will meet in the 6^th round on May 17 at 2pm sharp. The remaining 4 rounds will be played and the awarding of cash prizes and trophies will be given right away.

                THE MOVES OF CYRIL MONTEL, JR. (White) vs. ROBERTO HERNANDEZ (Black)     May 10, 2015

1. d4  f5 2. Nc3 Nf6 3. Bg5 e6 4. e4 Bb4 5. e5 Bxc3+ 6. bxc3 h6 7. Bh4 g5 8. Bg3 Ne4 9. Qh5+ Kf8 10. f3 Nxc3 11. Ne2 Nd5 12. c4 Ne3 13. Rc1 Qe7 14. f4 Qb4+ 15. Kf2 Ng5+ 16. Kg1 Qd2 17. h4 Qe3+ 18. Bf2 Qxf2#                         0-1

STANDINGS AFTER 5 ROUNDS:

                                             Rating        Win      Loss         Total

1. Hernandez, Roberto      1776            5            0              5 pts.

2. Cabuso, Rustum             1674           5            0              5

3. Montel, Jr., Cyril            1785           4            1               4

4. Cabunagan, Tito             1813           3            2               3

5. Labarda, Eugene             1641          3            2               3

6. Balbalosa, Jeffrey           1551           3            2               3

7. Gonzales, Dennis            1671           3            2               3

8. Garcia, Bernard               1732          3            2               3

9. Escapatoria, Jr., Gonzalo 1608          2            3               2

10. Sisior, Destiny                 1529         2            3               2

11. Parrado, Angelica            1585         2            3              2

12. Mission, Baby Edna        1516         1            4               1

13. Sanchez, Rey                                   1            4               1

14. Sola, Robert Godwin      1341         1            4               1

15. Sisior, Angelil                  1452         0            5               0

                Solution to last week’s puzzle No. 3864: 1. Rxg7+! Bxg7 2. Ra8+ Bf8 3. Qg5 mate.

                This week’s puzzle No. 3865: White to move and mates in 3 (Solution next issue)

Source: Chess Mate by Roberto Hernandez

             Tia Belau Newspaper

             Page 9

             Volume 24

             Issue 40

             May 18, 2015