(1037) PAX BEATS CYRIL, EXCITING FINALS ON AUG. 16 (TBN-Aug. 10, 2015)

AND NOW, ONE PLAYER IS LEFT UNDEFEATED

               Three previously unbeaten players –Jeff Balbalosa, left, CM Bernardo Garcia, 2^nd from left, and Paquito ‘Pax’ Suringa, Jr., 2^nd from right, all suffered their first defeat in the resumption of play (5^th and 6^th round) of 2015 Palau Rapid Chess Championship. Top seed Cyril, 5^th from right, stays on top followed by Roberto, 4^th from left.                                   (Photo by Roberto Hernandez)

                    PAX BEATS CYRIL,

         EXCITING FINALS ON AUG. 16

BEFORE the start of the 5^th round of the 2015 Palau Rapid Chess Championship, 4 players are still unbeaten – top seed NM Cyril Tomas Montel, Jr., CM Bernardo Garcia, Jeff Balbalosa and Paquito ‘Pax’ Suringa, Jr. Before the start of the 6^th round, only Cyril remains unbeaten as he dealt Garcia his first loss; defending champion Roberto Hernandez nipped Jeff; and I.N.C champion Allan Alcid clobbered Pax. 

                Garcia had an even 2-2-2 slate (2 wins, 2 losses, 2 draws) as he lost another one to Pax. Roberto is half point behind Cyril after defeating Unrated Champion Arnolfo Inres with the black pieces in 53 moves of Dutch Defence.

                 For 3 consecutive weeks of 2015 Palau Rapid Chess Championship, the first round pairings/photos of Round 1, 3 and 5 were not taken.

Because everybody is busy with their game, like in the 5th round held at Bethlehem Park on Aug. 2, the Board 1-5 matches’ photos were not taken. Board 1 match is between unbeaten Cyril Tomas Montel, Jr. and CM Bernardo Garcia, with the former winning. At Board 2, Roberto Hernandez whipped Jeffrey Balbalosa, who missed the winning move 19. fxg7 with unstoppable mate.

 THE MOVES:   [Event "2015 Palau Rapid Chess Championship"][Site "Bethlehem Park, Koror City, Palau"]
[Date "2015.08.02"][Round "5"][White "Balbalosa, Jeffrey"][Black "Hernandez, Roberto"][Result "0-1"]
[ECO "B23"][White Elo "1615"][Black Elo "1858"][Ply Count "82"]
       1. e4 c5 2. Nc3 d6 3. f4 Nc6 4. Nf3 e6 5. Bb5 Bd7 6. O-O Nf6 7. d3 Be7 8. Qe1
a6 9. Ba4 O-O 10. Ng5 Nd4 11. Bb3 b5 12. Ne2 Qb6 13. Nxd4 cxd4 14. f5 d5 15. e5
Ng4 16. f6 Bc5 17. Nxh7 Kxh7 18. Qh4+ Nh6 19. Bxh6 gxh6 20. Rf3 Rg8 21. Rh3 Rg6
22. Rf1 Rag8 23. Rff3 Rxg2+ 24. Kf1 Rg1+ 25. Ke2 R8g2+ 26. Rf2 Rg6 27. Rff3
R1g4 28. Qf2 Rg2 29. Rxh6+ Kxh6 30. Rh3+ Kg5 31. Qxg2+ Kf5 32. Qf3+ Kxe5 33.
Rh5+ Kd6 34. Qf4+ Kc6 35. Qe5 Bd6 36. Bxd5+ Kc7 37. Qe4 exd5 38. Qxd5 Bg4+ 39.
Kf2 Bxh5 40. Qxh5 Rxf6+ 41. Ke2 Qc5          0-1

At Board 3, Allan Alcid dealt Paquito 'Pax' Suringa, Jr. his first loss and thus, only one player (Cyril) remains unbeaten.

A lesson was learned in the 5th round, when Glen Navarroza lost by default where he is one of the first player to come at the venue. He is practicing with John Mark Tamayo when Roberto arrived.

Glen is not listening or not paying attention to the announcement of the 5th round pairings. He said he heard the recap of the 4th round.

He is supposed to play with Tamayo but he's not smart enough to ask whom he is playing with. As his time expired, Tamayo claimed the win. Glen is so surprised that he lost by default where he is present at the site. NOW, HE PAYS ATTENTION TO THE PAIRINGS IN THE 6TH ROUND.

In the 6th round, Roberto is up against the Unrated champion Arnolfo Inres. He declined to write chess notations citing he will be more confused. He lost the game against the pet defence of Roberto as black, the Dutch Defence. He borrowed the notations from Hernandez to study the part where he lost his queen for a rook.

            THE MOVES:  [Event "2015 Palau Rapid Chess Championship "][Site "Bethlehem Park, Koror City, Palau"][Date "2015.08.02"][Round "6"][White "Inres, Arnolfo"][Black "Hernandez, Roberto"][Result "0-1"][ECO "A85"][Black Elo "1858"][Ply Count "106"]
               1. d4 f5 2. c4 Nf6 3. Nc3 e6 4. Nf3 Bb4 5. Bd2 O-O 6. a3 Bxc3 7. Bxc3 Ne4 8. e3
f4 9. Bd3 Nxc3 10. bxc3 b6 11. Be4 d5 12. cxd5 exd5 13. Bd3 Bg4 14. Be2 fxe3
15. fxe3 Bxf3 16. Bxf3 Qh4+ 17. g3 Qg5 18. Qe2 Re8 19. Kf2 Nd7 20. h4 Qf5 21.
g4 Qe6 22. Rhf1 Nf6 23. Rae1 Re7 24. c4 c6 25. cxd5 cxd5 26. Kg3 Ne4+ 27. Bxe4
Qxe4 28. Rf4 Qe6 29. e4 dxe4 30. Qxe4 Qb3+ 31. Rf3 Rxe4 32. Rxe4 Qd5 33. Rfe3
Rf8 34. g5 Qd6+ 35. Kh3 Qd7+ 36. Kg3 Qf7 37. h5 Qf2+ 38. Kh3 Qf1+ 39. Kg4 Qf5+
40. Kh4 Qf1 41. g6 Qf6+ 42. Kg4 hxg6 43. hxg6 Qxg6+ 44. Kh4 Qh6+ 45. Kg3 Qd6+
46. Kh4 Rf4+ 47. Kh3 Rxe4 48. Rxe4 Qxa3+ 49. Kg4 Qd6 50. Kf5 g6+ 51. Kg5 Kf7
52. Rf4+ Qxf4+ 53. Kxf4 Ke6 0-1

                Solution to last week’s puzzle No. 3780: 1. Nxh7+! Rxh7 2. Qh6+!! Rxh6 3. Bxh6 mate.

                This week’s puzzle No. 3781: White to move and mates in 3 (Solution next issue)

Source: Chess Mate by Roberto Hernandez

             Tia Belau Newspaper

             Pages 9-10

             Volume 24

             Issue 64

             August 10, 2015