(1006) GARCIA SCALPS 2 FIDE RATED OPPONENTS (TBN-Dec. 28, 2009-Jan. 03, 2010)

BRITISH GRANDMASTER VS. 16 PLAYERS IN A SIMUL

British no. 4 Grandmaster (GM) Gawain Jones played an exhibition of simultaneous chess games against 16 opponents during the rest day of Oceania Zonal Chess Championship in Australia June 23, 2009. GM Jones defeated all including Palau's lone representative Roberto Hernandez, 2nd from right. GM Jones also won the Gold Coast Open that followed after the Oceania Zonal.                                                                                                 (Photo by: Joselito Marcos)

              GARCIA SCALPS 2
        FIDE RATED OPPONENTS

PALAU PACIFIC Resort's 2 best players are ruling the ongoing 2009 Palau National Chess Championship with its I. T. Manager Bernard Garcia scalping 2 FIDE rated players in succession on Sunday, December 20 at D. J. Cruz Gen. Merchandise premises.

In his Sicilian Defence (Alapin Variation) game vs. 4th seed Roberto Hernandez (FIDE rating 1830), he showed his mastery of the middle game after forcing Hernandez to give up his bishop to avoid being checkmated. As Hernandez is about to equalize on the 23rd move, he forced the exchange of queens and prevailed in 34 moves.

More than an hour later, Garcia clobbered 3rd seed and venue host Gene Pastrana (1870) in 59 moves of Ruy Lopez. Their game became possible because Hernandez assured to do the driving if Gene's wife or son will have to go somewhere while Gene is playing.

Garcia now totes a 6-1-0 win-loss-draw slate and instantly became a contender to the title along with idle and undefeated Cyril Montel, Jr. (6-0-0), who just practiced blitz chess with Elpidio Manaligod as no other available player showed up.

On Wednesday, Dec. 23, Paquito 'Pax' Suringa, Jr. and Hernandez are having the same day off and they played their game at 6:30 pm at Palau Royal Resort Dormitory 1.

In their French Defence clash, Pax gave away a pawn early but employed a stingy defense and recovered the pawn on the 28th move. Eleven moves later, Pax lost his queen and resigned on the 50th move.

The Edgar Cayanan Cup rapid chess tournament will start after Christmas. Edgar already surveyed the prize of the Cup trophy. Although it will reach $30.00, he will still add $10.00 for the cash prizes.

With the addition of dart board at PRR Dorm 1 Lounge, another alternative sport was added for employees to spend their leisure time.

The 2009 PNCC is sponsored by Bhoey Gopez of Island Logistics, Lucio Bandibas of WCTC and Ed Martinez of Print Zone (5 trophies) and Bobby Pineda, Jun dela Cruz and Ogie Pineda of PALIBHASA ($60.00 for cash prize).

Here are some more news from Joselito Marcos' The Chess Connoisseur:

Norwegian Magnus Carlsen, who turned 19 on 30th November, won the London Chess Classic held at the Olympia Conference Center from 8-16 December. The Category 18 event, with an average rating of 2696, is a single round-robin contest using the Bilbao scoring system of 3 points for a win, 1 point for a draw and 0 for a loss. 

During the 7th and final round, all 3 of the winless Englishmen attempted to score their first win but only two succeeded. Michael Adams prevailed over compatriot Luke McShane while David Howell defeated China's Ni Hua to share 3rd-4th places with Adams.

Current number one English player Nigel Short tried all his might to score a win against Carlsen but the latter also has the determination. The two finally halved the point when Short was about to pluck the remaining pawn in the queen ending.

Earlier, former world champion Vladimir Kramnik of Russia halved the point with Hikaru Nakamura of the USA to wind up with 12 points, one  point behind the winner Carlsen.

Nakamura and Short were unable to win a game, with the former losing one game while the latter suffered two losses.

In addition to the tournament victory, Carlsen is now absolutely certain to top the next FIDE rating list which will come out on 1st January 2010.

He is now the youngest player ever to achieve that feat and also the first player from a western nation to reach the top since Bobby Fischer in the 1970s.

He aims to become the world chess champion and shows his determination by engaging the services of Gary Kasparov, the former world champion (1985-2000) and number one player for 20 years (1985-2005).

That he would become the world chess champion is never doubted. The only question that remains to be answered is "When?" (Read the full story here)

Source: Chess Mate by Roberto Hernandez 
           Tia Belau Newspaper
           Pages 13-14 
           Volume 18   
           Issue 52   
           Dec. 28, 2009 - Jan. 03, 2010