Palau Chessmate: March 2016

Tuesday, March 29, 2016

(1180) CHESS ACTIVITIES ON OCEANIA ZONAL REST DAY (TBN-June 08-14, 2009)

Source: Chess Mate by Roberto Hernandez
   Tia Belau Newspaper
   Pages 9-10
   Volume 19
   June 08-14, 2010

(1179) WORLD CHESS CHAMPIONSHIPS (CONCLUSION) TBN-June 07-13, 2010

Source: Chess Mate by Roberto Hernandez
   Tia Belau Newspaper
   Pages 13 & 15
   Volume 19
   June 07-13, 2010

(1178) WORLD CHESS CHAMPIONSHIPS (TBN-May 31, June 06, 2010)

Sources: Chess Mate by Roberto Hernandez
Tia Belau Newspaper
Page 13
Volume 19
May 31--June 06, 2010

(1177) 2016 PRCC TO START MARCH 27 (TBN-March 28, 2016)

: NOT SATISFIED WITH TIE-BREAKERS

Rustum Cabuso, 2^nd from left, won the 2^nd Bullet Chess tourney in March 20 and pocketed the $6.00 champion’s purse but not satisfied with the results of the 1^st Bullet Chess tourney when he and Jeff Balbalosa, 3^rd from right (partly hidden), finished at 2^nd and 3^rd respectively. Others in the photo (L-R) are Roberto Hernandez, Gonzalo Escapatoria, Jr., Arnolfo Inres and Manuel ‘Jun’ Mahor, Jr. (Photo by Jeff Balbalosa)

2016 PRCC TO START MARCH 27

ONLY 11 players showed up in the opening day of 2016 Palau Rapid Chess Championship on March 20 at Surangel’s Campaign Headquarters within the premises of Mason’s Hardware.

Bullet chess was played instead with 10 participants – 1. Cyril Tomas Montel, Jr. 2. Tito Cabunagan 3. Roberto Hernandez 4. Rustum Cabuso 5. Josef Karlo Moyet 6. Jeff Balbalosa 7. Arnolfo Inres 8. Gonzalo Escapatoria, Jr. 9. Manuel ‘Jun’ Mahor, Jr. and 10. Glen Navarroza.

                While jogging at Palau Track & Field Oval on March 15, Roberto was able to talk to Eugene Labarda while jogging/walking. Labarda will be having a vacation on March 22 so he can’t participate in the 9-round Swiss system event. If it’s a round-robin format, it is possible for him to play as many games as he can and catch up when he comes back.

                Paquito ‘Pax’ Suringa, Jr. is on duty that Sunday from 9am to 9pm. The postponement of the opening day favors him and he can join now as it is his day off on March 27. Unfortunately, Felix Oling, Jr., who didn’t show up last Sunday, will be going to Rock Islands and will miss again this tourney while Dennis Gonzales paid his registration fee of $5.00 and is ready to forfeit his 1^st 2 games had the original date pushed through.

                The Bullet Chess competition started so well with top seed Cyril overcoming an overwhelming disadvantage when Tito promoted his pawn to queen, press his clock first before the promotion. It cost him the game that became a very good lesson to participants.

                Cyril won 8 games and lost a game to Jeff to finish with another feather in his cap. Jeff and Rustum have an identical 7-2 card but after using the 3 tiebreakers (including the win-over-the-other or direct encounter), Jeff prevailed as 2^nd with Rustum complaining about his win over Jeff.

                Cyril pocketed the $15.00 winner–take-all purse while the rest ($5.00) goes to Palau Chess Federation fund. The last Bullet chess competition had Tito getting half of the cash prize from registration fee of $2.00.

                There’s no more time to start the PRCC even with one game but the organizers decided to hold it on March 27 instead and hold another bullet chess contest with only 6 players (Cyril, Tito, Karlo, Jeff, Jun and the eventual champion Rustum).

                Later in the night, Rustum text Roberto with this: “Good evening. Sorry but I can’t move on. If all the games of unrated players vs. rated players will have a tiebreaker, the winner is those only with ratings? Is that so? I can’t really accept it (the winner-over-the-other), where I have beaten Jeff and we are tied with 7 wins and 2 losses and then I lost in the ranking (tiebreaker).”

                Rustum didn’t realize that Jeff has beaten the top seed Cyril which accumulates many tiebreak points in Jeff’s favor. Roberto responded the next day with this: “I trust the Swiss Perfect software that we are using. The win over the other tiebreak is just one of the 3 tie-breakers. On Feb. 28, 2016, final day of Palau Blitz Chess Championship, I defeated Jeff in the last round. Four of us finished with 5 points each—but Jeff was the champion, 2^nd is Tito, 3^rd is Jun and I am 4^th. I didn’t complain because I know that system of tiebreak is proven.” One of the tiebreakers is more number of wins. Roberto has 2 draws, 4 wins and 3 losses while Jeff has more number of wins (7).

                THE ANNOTATION OF JUDIT POLGAR IN HER GAME AGAINST DOMINGUEZ IN THE 2011 FIDE WORLD CUP CONTINUES AS FOLLOWS: On the 97^th to 102^nd move, Judit comments “I had exactly the same position at move 82, so I really made myself and my fans very nervous.”

            106.Rg2 Bd3 107.Rh2 [It is amazing, that finally when I reached the winning position, White could have stopped the clock and asked for a draw from the arbiter by the rule of 3 fold repetition!! The strange thing is that Dominguez was checking the score sheet carefully in the last 20 moves, probably for a possible repetition, but on the other hand was not sure exactly which position really occurred 3 times. The reality is that by making the move ¦h2 this was the third time that we had it on the board in move 95–105 and now...Maybe he was afraid to claim because he was not sure, if he is not correct the game stops for some minutes and I would figure things out. Well, luck is something you need in chess as well as in life!] 107...Bf1 [Yessss.....!!!! I did it, when I think already everybody had given up thinking that I would be able to prove the win...]108.Rf2 Bc4 109.Rf3+ Bd3 110.Rf2 Rb3+ 111.Ka2 [111.Ka4 Rb6] 111...Rb6 112.Ka1 Rg6 [Oh I was really happy to be able to win this game and equalize the match. I was only happy and not thinking about the following day, about the playoff. Just enjoy the victory!][112...Rg6 113.Rg2 was the last chance but 113...Re6] 0–1

            Solution to last week’s puzzle No. 3830: 1. Qh5+!!! Kxh5 2. axb7+ Kb6 3. c8Q mate.

                This week’s puzzle No. 3831: White to move and mates in 3 (Solution next issue)

Sources: Chess Mate by Roberto Hernandez

                       Tia Belau Newspaper

                       Pages 9 & 10

                       Volume 25

                       Issue 25

                       March 28, 2016

                       Chess and Music (Perfect Combination)

                       The Beginning of Chess in Palau

                        By Roberto Hernandez

                        To be published as a book in the future

                       Music and Me by Roberto Hernandez

   Tia Belau Newspaper

   March 15, 2012 -- April 2013

   http://palau-chess.blogspot.com

   April 2013 -- March 28, 2016

   The History of Chess in Palau

   By Roberto Hernandez

   June 09, 2002 --March 28, 2016