(607) BEING A FIDE CACDEC COUNTRY (TBN-Dec. 22-28, 2008)

IF PALAU will become a CACDEC (Committee for Assistance to Chess Developing Countries) country, it needs to meet the World Chess Federation (FIDE) CACDEC Development Goals (2006-2010):

1. All CACDEC Federations must have at least 5 FIDE Rated Players by 2007 and newly affiliated Federations within 2 years of achieving FIDE membership.
      (This has been achieved by Palau with 6 FIDE rated players now -- Menandro Manuel, Jose Omega, Cyril Montel, Jr., Gene Pastrana, Roberto Hernandez and Manny Nedic).

2. The National Championship of each CACDEC federation is registered and FIDE-rated by the end of 2008 and each year thereafter.
     (This have been done also and the 2008 Palau National Chess Championship is still ongoing with 22 players participating).

3. All CACDEC Federations must have at least one (1) FIDE Arbiter on International Arbiter by the end of 2009.
      (This would be on the part of Mr. Jan Berglund to be accomplished ).

4. All CACDEC Federations must have at least one (1) indigenous FIDE certified Trainer by the end of 2010.
      (This is also on the part of Mr. Berglund to accomplish.)

5. All CACDEC Federations must have chess in schools program by the end of 2009.
     (The 4 women, with US origin, who had offered to help out and play in the 2008 Dresden, Germany Chess Olympiad for Palau have put together a program for this. The start was scheduled for January 2009. What will happen now, after the way they were treated by FIDE at the Olympiad, Mr. Berglund don't know if he can motivate them once more to help out. They had spent much money, out of their own pockets, on expensive airplane tickets to get to Dresden. The school work for Palau was supposed to be honorary. It is a pity, as they are retired professional teachers with genuine chess interest and have run a small chess academies in other US protectorates earlier.)

6. All CACDEC Federations must have a Junior Squad Development Program to accelerate the development of its best junior players by the end of 2007.
     (Palau do not meet up with this, yet. It is supposed to be on Mr. Berglund's part. However, his honorary contract ended by the end of this year's Olympiad. He was offered another contract extension.)

7. All CACDEC Federations must participate in their Continental Youth Championships for 2008, 2009 and 2010.
     (Palau don't have the resources for this for the time being.).

8. All CACDEC Federations with more than 10 active rated players and no FIDE titled players as of July 01, 2008 must produce at least 1 FIDE Titled player by 2010.
     (This is also on Mr. Berglund's part to accomplish.)

One of the 2 aims of Budget Proposal 2006-2010 of Mr. Berglund is to win the recognition of Palau National Olympic Committee (PNOC) as this would give Palau a budget to go to the next FIDE Chess Olympiad in Siberia (2010) and the FIDE Congress (2010).

Applications have been sent in 2005 and 2008. Both have been denied. Reason being, Palau Chess Federation do not have enough activities. And the activity that Palau have is 90% Philippine community.

PNOC wants to see activity in all communities. Palau has got 11 inhabited islands. To get them involved in future national championships, Mr. Berglund have, together with some expertise, put together a test project for this purpose, with the help of internet.

Funds for this have been asked from the FIDE Computer and Internet Chess Committee. Providing this committee gets its budget approved, Palau will be granted $3,000.00 for this test project, which would in the end be applicable on all spread out FIDE member federations.

Source: Chessmate by Roberto Hernandez
            Tia Belau Newspaper
            Pages 13 & 15
            Volume 17
            December 22-28, 2008        

     

    

 

(604) DEJA VU 2: ARMENIA RETAINS CHESS OLYMPICS TITLE (TBN-Dec. 01-07, 2008)

IN THE 2006 World Chess Olympiad in Torino, Italy, there was a controversy about Palau's proxy vote for FIDE President.

The Palau Chess Federation had given their proxy vote to former and honorary lifetime president of FIDE Florencio Campomanes. He visited Palau in May 11-14, 2006.

But the opposition camp of Mr. Gary Bekker has asked for another proxy vote. After the problem has been resolved, Palau proxy had been finally given to Mr. Casto "Toti" Abundo, the Deputy President of Asian Chess Federation.

The same thing happened in the final week of 2008 World Chess Olympiad in Dresden, Germany when Mr. Campomanes has asked for proxy of Palau to vote in the FIDE Congress that coincides with the Olympiad.

An earlier letter was sent to Mr. Jan Berglund confirming him as the official Delegate of Palau.

He was hired in January to act as Palau Delegate and has done his job superbly despite financial problems that led to eventual withdrawal of Palau men team and the denied participation of Palau women's team that's composed of professional and retired teachers from British Virgin Islands.

Mr. Berglund was still able to represent Palau in the Congress and Asian Continental Meeting and Toti voted for Palau in the selection of the Chess Olympiad site in 2012 where Budva in Montenegro and Istanbul in Turkey are the last 2 remaining contenders to host the prestigious event.
 
Istanbul won a clear victory by unofficial 92-40 votes among 152 participating nations, which is a record in Olympiad. 

Mr. Berglund also submitted a budget proposal for Palau for 2008-2010 for Administration, 3 Annual Invitational Tournaments 2008-2010, Participation in FIDE tournaments 2008-2010 School program where the 4 teachers for British Virgin Islands will come to Palau to teach chess in 10 schools in Palau.

Their school work in Palau is honorary as well as Mr. Berglund's, whose contract will expire at the end of November. 

His contract will be renewed as his dedication to help in chess development in Palau is very sincere.

The amount of the proposed budget is 170,00r 0.00 euros and will be delivered to CACDEC as Chess in Schools, Asian Chess Federation and the Oceania Zone President with the idea of receiving a portion of the expenses from each one of them.

The Asian Chess Federation President Sheik Sultan Bin Khalifa Al-Nehyan says that he might be able to find some solution for the airfares while FIDE Chess In Schools chairman Professor Uvencio Blanco will be visiting South East Asia in June 2009 according to an already existing plan. After negotiations, he has now added Palau to be visited during this trip.

At the end of 2008 World Chess Olympiad, Armenia retained the title that they won for the first time in 2006 Torino, Italy Chess Olympiad. 

Israel got the silver medal and USA the bronze. The surprise team is Vietnam, which finished 7th. The Philippines' best placed finish is also 7th, in the 1998 Chess Olympiad in Thessalonica, Greece.

The original chess team of Palau to the Olympiad held a blitz chess contest on Sunday night at Jean's Boutique and Store with Palau no. 1 Menandro Manuel reasserted his supremacy by topping the event over NM Manny Nedic, Cyril Montel, Jr., Roberto Hernandez, Gene Pastrana and Dennis Lara.

The participation of Hernandez became possible because he is on annual leave till the end of November. Another blitz chess contest might be held on Nov. 30.

Hernandez won the Palau Royal Resort theme songwriting contest held on November 24 with his rendition of his original composition of "That Is Origin8" with the singing and dancing performance of his co-department PRR beauties Lorna Castaneto, Ella Asuncion and Shirin Dy.

Source: Chessmate by Roberto Hernandez
            Tia Belau Newspaper
            Pages 13 & 15
            Volume 17
            December 01-07, 2008           

   

 

 

(232) ISTANBUL HERE WE COME (Without Tito) TBN-July 9, 2012

THANK YOU, MR. ALI NIHAT YAZICI
     Mr. Ali Nihat YAZICI, the President of Turkish Chess Federation, has exempted the 8-member Palau Chess Team Delegation to the 2012 World Chess Olympiad in Istanbul, Turkey from paying 100 Euros for accreditation and transportation fee aside from providing players and captain pocket-money of 70 Euros. Thank you so much, Mr. Ali Nihat YAZICI.



I  STANBUL HERE WE COME (Without Tito)

There are good news and bad news. Which one you want to know first?  Okay, bad news first… Tito Cabunagan, one of the committed team members of Palau Chess Team to Istanbul Olympiad, will skip this 40^th World Chess Olympiad. In his email to all members of the team, Tito noted:

“Hello Guys, I have a big problem. The Japanese JICA Study Team is coming on August 15, 2012. They will be here for one month. Their main purpose is to finalize the grant aid of 2x 5000 KW generators for Aimeliik Power Station. I’m the only Technical person who can assist them in their study.

I have just completed my documents for Visa application. Anyway, I will reserve that for Norway in 2014.

Good luck to all of you guys.       Tito
The good news is about an email from Mr. Jan Berglund, Palau’s Delegate in 2008, 2010 and 2012 World Chess Olympiad in Dresden, Germany, Khanty-Mansiysk, Russia and Istanbul, Turkey respectively. It is dated June 30, 2012 and it read as follows:                    Dear Mr. Hernandez, I am spending some time in Greenland for the time being. Unfortunately, I have extremely small possibilities to use internet here. But, I managed to get an hour in tonight. I studied your correspondence with me lately and want to clarify something that struck me.

 Maybe you remember signing a request to become a CACDEC nation in the highest category when we were in Khanty-Mansiysk? I handed it in two copies, one to one of the FIDE treasurers and the other one to the chairman of CACDEC. They both promised me orally that there was no problem with that. They would both see to that it was going to be granted.

 So, following your debate about the 100 Euro, I got surprised. What had happened? Therefore I contacted my friend Ali in Turkey. This is what he pointed to me – see below! If you cannot open the link I can tell you that Palau is mentioned in the link as one of the nations that DO NOT have to pay this Euro 100 – for our 8-people delegation. However, if there are any accompanying people, outside these eight, they must pay.

I’ll be back when I have better possibilities with internet access, but I thought this was extremely relevant information to pass on as quickly as possible. Best wishes, Jan

THIS IS WHAT ALI NIHAT YAZICI POINTED OUT:  After a relevant research on the GDP per capita, concerning the FIDE affiliated federations, the Turkish Chess Federation came to the following conclusions and decisions: 1. Based on the request of FIDE Developing Commission, the organizers of the Istanbul Chess Olympiad will pay to each listed federation the amount of 70 Euros as pocket- money for each player and captain.

Listed Federations

2. Above this, the Turkish Chess Federation decided to help those federations that face financial shortage, by excluding all the members of the delegations (players, captain, chief of delegation, delegates, accompanying persons, etc) from their obligation of paying to the organizers the 100 Euros per person obligatory fee for accreditation, transportation, etc. This exemption is valid for participants staying in official hotels.

As organizers of Olympiad we hope to see all our friends having good conditions in Istanbul. On behalf of TCF, I want to ask to FIDE by respecting this research attached to this announcement, to check and revise CACDEC federations.     Gens Una Sumus        Ali Nihat YAZICI

There is one good thing to know, the new General Manager of Palau Royal Resort, Mr. Masahiro Fujita, has granted the annual leave applied by Roberto Hernandez to participate in the Istanbul, Olympiad. When Hernandez represented Palau in the 2009 Oceania Zonal Chess Championship in Australia and 2010 World Chess Olympiad in Russia, he brought 100 PRR brochures in each occasion to promote Palau and PRR. He will do the same in Turkey.

This is the composition of Palau Chess Team –Team Captain is Jamie Kenmure of Australia, the same team captain of Palau chess team in Russia; the Delegate is still Mr. Jan Berglund; Head of Delegation is Elizabeth Manuel, wife of Board 4 player Menandro Manuel, Geodetic Engineer (Surveyor) of Surangel and Sons; Board 1 will be Roberto Hernandez, Musician of PRR; Board 2 (still to be decided if Mohammad Manik Hossain can make it) and Board 3 is Bernardo Garcia, I.T. Manager of Palau Pacific Resort.

If Manik could not make it, Elizabeth will play on Board 2. The couple (Menandro and Elizabeth) will tour Europe after the Olympiad. They will spend 5 days in touring Italy, France and Germany and back to Istanbul on their way back to Manila.

They take advantage of this golden opportunity to tour Europe after getting 15 days of free full accommodation by participating in the Olympiad. This may be a motivation to others to spend a few extra days in Europe than to have a longer vacation in their country or LOOKING FORWARD TO 2014 TROMSO, NORWAY WORLD CHESS OLYMPIAD IN NOVERMBER.

Source: Chessmate by Roberto Hernandez

              Tia Belau Newspaper

              Pages 12 &13

              Volume 21

              Issue 45

             July 09, 2012