Wednesday, September 14, 2016

(1260) ROUND 2 OF THE 2016 WORLD CHESS OLYMPIAD IN BAKU, AZERBAIJAN

THE VENUE -- CRYSTAL HALL (Baku, Azerbaijan)
      When Roberto Hernandez was in 2012 Istanbul, Turkey World Chess Olympiad, he noticed a sign "2016 Baku Chess Olympiad". He thought that Baku has won already the bid to host the 2016 Olympiad. But where is Baku? He asked a lady at the booth and she said Azerbaijan and gave Roberto a gift. He said to her, "I'll tell our Delegate Jan Berglund to vote for Baku."

   ROUND 2 OF 2016 WORLD CHESS
  OLYMPIAD IN BAKU, AZERBAIJAN 

THE Palau Chess Team was swept by ICCD (International Chess Committee for the Deaf) in the first round. In the 2nd round, another tough opponent is waiting for them -- Barbados.
 
Bo.
103
  Barbados (BAR)
Rtg
-
163
  Palau (PLW)
Rtg
4 : 0
74.1
FM

Husbands, Orlando
2257
-


Suringa Jr, Paquito
1712
1 - 0
74.2
FM

Del Castilho, Martyn
2248
-
AFM

Balbalosa, Jeffrey
1768
1 - 0
74.3
FM

Poon, Yu Tien
2196
-


Hernandez, Roberto
1798
1 - 0
74.4


Lynch, Kemp
1992
-


Gonzales, Dennis
1651
1 - 0

It's another sweep as in the previous 2 Olympiads where Palau was swept by Qatar and Iraq in 2012 and by Colombia and IPCA in 2014.

THE COMPLETE RESULTS OF ROUND 2:
   

Monday, September 5, 2016

(1259) MENANDRO MANUEL -- Most Successful Palau Chess Player (TBN-Sept. 05, 2016)




    
               


    

:  MENANDRO AND ELIZABETH MANUEL AT THE 2012 WORLD CHESS OLYMPIAD
                     After the 2012 WCO, the Manuel couple proceeded to Italy and France for 5 days before returning back to Philippines. Mrs. Manuel is the one who gets the Turkish visas of Palau Chess Team members and also the Schengen visa of her and Menandro, who didn’t have to be present to get it in 2012. The 2014 Palau Chess Team (Open and Women) need to get their Schenger visas in person for finger printing and interview.     (Photo by Roberto Hernandez)



              MENANDRO MANUEL ---
     Most Successful Palau Chess Player 



GEODETIC Engineer and National Master (NM) Menandro ‘Boy’ Manuel is the most successful Palau chess player, winning 22 chess championships in Palau (including blitz chess competitions). The 2nd most successful and the pioneer of chess in Palau NM and FIDE Instructor (FI) Roberto Hernandez has 15 titles since the beginning of chess in Palau in June 09, 2002.
                Third in the list is the current No. 1 chess player of Palau NM Cyril Tomas Montel, Jr., who has won 9 titles followed by NM Antonio Villa, who won 7 titles from Oct. 01, 2006—April 26, 2008, mostly blitz titles and one National Championship.  A Palau player who won a National Championship automatically becomes a National Master, with the latest one going to Jose Celiz for winning the 2013 edition. Jeff Balbalosa is projected to be the next NM of Palau but he won already Online Arena FIDE Master title (AFM) – which is recognized by FIDE in his participation in the 2016 World Chess Olympiad in Baku, Azerbaijan. It is now in the 4th round where Palau was swept by ICCD, Barbados and Hong Kong.
In the 4th round, they will face Gambia, who has the same record, at the last table.
                Manuel Nedic and Jose Omega are tied with 5 titles each while Civil Engineer Eddie Grefiel had 4 titles in 3 years (2002-2004). NM Tito Cabunagan has 3 including 2 National Championships (2012 and tied with Hernandez and Montel, Jr. in 2011).
                THE RECAP OF MANUEL’S 30 TITLES:
1. The first tourney of 2003, (3) the Open, Menandro Manuel topped the Class A and Chito Vargas clinched the Class B championship that was held on Jan. 12-April 27.
2. (10) 2004 Blitz Chess Tournament (Sept. 12, 2004) 3. (11) 2004 Sunday Blitz Chess Tilt (Sept. 26, 2004)
4. (13) 2004 Knights and Rooks Chess Club (Palau) Christmas Party and Blitz Chess Festival (Dec. 19)
Co-champions –Eddie Grefiel and Menandro Manuel (both with 8 wins and 1 loss).
5. (14) 2005 Regular Chess Tournament (Jan. 06-April 17) 6. (18) 2005 Blitz Chess Contest (July 24)
7. (19) 2005 Blitz Chess Competition (Aug. 7) 8. (20) 2005 Blitz Chess Tilt (Aug. 14) Manuel Nedic and Menandro Manuel –Co-champions. 9. (22) 2005 Blitz Chess Tournament (Sept. 4) Menandro Manuel, Cyril Montel, Jr.—Champions. 10. (23) 2005 Blitz Chessfest (Sept. 18)
11. (24) 2005-2006 Rapid Chess Tournament (Oct. 23, 2005 – Feb. 12, 2006)
12. (28) 2006 Palau National Chess Championship (March 19-Aug. 06) Manuel Nedic (17-3-2) and Menandro Manuel (18-4-0) co-champions and became Palau’s first National Master (NM).
13. (31) 2006 Blitz Chess (10 minutes) March 26 –Menandro Manuel (6-0-0) – Champion.
14. (33) 2006 After the Games Blitz Chess Tilt (April 16) Menandro Manuel (7-1-0) – Champion.
15. (36) 2006 Blitz Chess Contest (May 7) Menandro Manuel (7-1-0)—Champion.
16. (39) 2006 Blitz Chess Tourney (June 11) Menandro Manuel (10-0-0)—Champion.
17. (42) 2006 Rapid Chess Tournament (Oct. 01-Dec. 17) Champions—Antonio Villa (13-3-4), Menandro Manuel (14-4-2). 18. (44) 2006 Blitz Chess Contest (Oct. 18) 19. (53) 2007 Palau Invitational Chess Championship (Sept. 15-20) Champions—Boris Michael Diez (Philippines) and Menandro Manuel.
20. (55) 2008 Palau National Chess championship (Unfinished) April 26-Nov. 23 (Menandro Manuel – champion for having the most number of points). 21. (57) 2010 PNCC –Champion –Menandro Manuel
22. (59) 2011 Palau Invitational Chess Championship (Dec. 14-20) Champions – Joselito Marcos (Papua New Guinea) and Menandro Manuel.
                Manuel’s first participation in World Chess Olympiad was in the 2012 WCO in Istanbul, Turkey with teammates Roberto Hernandez (Board 1), his wife Elizabeth Manuel (Board 2), him at Board 4 and Bernardo Garcia at Board 3, who became the first titled player of Palau when he scored 3.5 points in the first 7 rounds after losing the first 3 rounds by a sweep!
                One notable characteristic of Manuel is – he plays well when there is a good sum of cash prizes at stake like the 2009-2010 PNCC, 2007 PICC, 2006 Rapid Chess Tournament and the inaugural 2006 PICC where he won $100.00 for being the top scoring Palau players with 4.5 points and edging Australian IA Gary Bekker. He also won $150.00 in the 2011 PICC where he shared the $300.00 1st and 2nd placer’s purse with the generous CM Joselito Marcos, who donated his $150.00 cash prize to Palau Chess Federation so that it can pay its yearly dues to FIDE.
                While waiting in line to check-in their baggage for his vacation in Philippines on Dec. 23, 2011, he saw Mr. Marcos with his wife and daughter going to Philippines also after the successful 2011 PICC. He asked Joselito if it’s possible for him to be Board 4 instead of Board 1 in the 2012 Olympiad in trying to get at least a CM title. That’s what happened in Istanbul but it’s not meant to be as Garcia is the one who gained a CM title instead of him because many countries are doing the same strategy.

                Solution to last week’s puzzle No. 3459: 1. Bd2 Nd3 2. Ra8 mate.


               This week’s puzzle No. 3460: White to move and mates in 2 (Solution next issue)



Sources: Chess Mate by Roberto Hernandez
                  Tia Belau Newspaper
                  Pages 9-10
                  Volume 25
                  Issue 83
                  September 05, 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 18, 2013
                  http://palau-chess.blogspot.com
                  April 25, 2013 -- September 05, 2016

                  The History of Chess in Palau
                  By Roberto Hernandez
                  June 09, 2002 -- September 05, 2016