PALAU WELCOMES CAMPOMANES
http://palau-chess.blogspot.com.au/2013/03/palau-welcomes-campomanes-tbn-may-12-19.html
A WOMEN'S LEAGUE OF THEIR OWN
Minda Roa, left, and Flor Hernandez are undergoing intensive training and practice to prepare for the next Open chess tournament that will have a separate division for men (rated and unrated) and women, and kids. The open tournament might excite some inexperienced women and kids to start participating in chess events. Remy Mingo, who participated in the first tournament in Palau (June 09, 2002), might have a comeback as she is back in Palau. She had a 5-4-0 win-loss-draw record in that tournament and all her 5 wins were over men (Bong Alipoon, Amante Caballero, Roberto Hernandez, Eugene Koh and Mario Ramos). (Photo by Roberto Hernandez)
FORMER
World Chess Federation (FIDE) President Florencio Campomanes will
arrive in Palau for a visit on May 11, 2006 to see how chess is doing on
the latest FIDE member.
He will be arriving from Davao City boarding on Asian Spirit Airline.
Campomanes,
popularly known as "Pocamps" or "Campo" to his close friends, headed
FIDE for many years and did a lot to make chess very popular around the
world especially in Asia where Grandmaster Eugene Torre became Asia's
first Grandmaster.
Viswanathan
Anand of India became a world champion. China is now the reigning Chess
Olympiad champion in the women's division and produced women world
champions.
He emailed Roberto Hernandez 3 weeks ago and called him last week about his first trip to Palau.
The
incumbent FIDE President that succeeded him, Kirsan Ilyumzhinov, is
running for re-election during the 2006 Torino, Italy World Chess
Olympiad that will be held this month.
Ilyumzhinov
is the President of Russian Federated Republic of Kalmykia, which is
located in the Moscow time zone. Elista is the capital and will host the
undisputed world chess championship between Bulgaria's Veselin Topalov
and the only man to have beaten Gary Kasparov in a match, Russia's
Vladimir Kramnik on September 21 to October 03, 2006.
Campomanes
is pushing for the re-election of Ilyumzhinov, the controversial and
wealthy man who poured hin millions of his own money for chess' best
interests.
Palau
Chess Federation and Knights and Rooks Chess Club are planning to have
Campomanes a courtesy call with President Tommy Remengesau. A barbecue
lunch is also being prepared for Campomanes on Saturday.
ONLY
THREE GAMES WERE PLAYED IN THE 8TH ROUND OF 2006 PALAU NATIONAL CHESS
CHAMPIONSHIP HELD ON SUNDAY, MAY 7 AT JEAN'S BOUTIQUE AND STORE
PREMISES. The 6 glass trophies and $100.00 brilliancy prize are donation
from Manny Kimpo of Pinoy Express Remittance.
3rd seed Cyril Montel, Jr. remained undefeated by nipping Dennis Gonzales in 56 moves of Caro-Kahn Defence.
It
was a very interesting battle of wits as the two exploited the maximum
and even forces of 2 rooks against a queen. Montel, Jr. managed to
locate his queen to the best places as Gonzales made a passive h pawn
move that cost him the game.
Former
champion Jess Toldoya, who also received a phone call from Campomanes
last week, outwitted venue host Gene Pastrana in 50 moves of Sicilian
Defence (Najdorf Variation).
Their
game was even in material and position but Toldoya managed to exploit
the defensive position of Pastrana and won the latter's bishop with a
knight fork.
Toldoya won his 2nd game of the day over Palauan bet Morton Sawaichi in 47 moves of another Sicilian Defence.
Sawaichi
lost his queen in the middle game and all that Toldoya did was to
simplify the game. A good lesson for Sawaichi is to remember that if his
king and queen are on the same diagonal and his opponent has a bishop
of the same color, he should move either of the two away from it.
Two-time
champion Menandro Manuel didn't play a single game but won the 5-player
blitz chess competition with a 7-1-0 win-loss-draw slate. The other
players were Hernandez (5-3-0), Montel, Jr. (5-3-0), Jimmy Valenzuela
(2-5-1) and Pastrana (0-7-1).
Solution to last week's puzzle: 1. Ne3 Kxa4 2. Nc2 and black has no other move (in zugzwang position) except e3 3. b3 mate.
Tia Belau Newspaper
Page 9-10
Volume 18
May 12-19, 2006
ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT ON
P.C.F. CHAIRMAN
Francis 'Sno' Temaungil, middle, sits in the same spot where he was shot point blank by an air gun by a teen-age Palauan boy. Roberto Hernandez was the lone witness when he saw the window of a car go down, the boy sitting at the back of the car pointed the air gun to Sno and fired one shot hitting Sno's nape. The window goes up and the car sped away. (Photo by Roberto Hernandez)
I will never forget that date -- May 14, 2006.
Former FIDE President and the Honorary Lifetime President of World Chess Federation (FIDE) Florencio Campomanes visited Palau in May 11-14, 2006.
He checked in at Palau Royal Resort and in the morning of his first day in Palau, Roberto Hernandez, Gene Pastrana, Francis 'Sno' Temaungil and Palau Horizon reporter Nazario 'Jun' Rodriguez visited him at the lobby.
After
some chess talks at the lobby, we proceed to the Philippine Embassy to
have a courtesy call with Philippine Ambassador to Palau Ramoncito
Marino.
On
the day of his departure back to Philippines, Campomanes organized a
blitz chess tourney in which he is the top seed and participated in by
the top 7 players of Palau -- Menandro Manuel, Manny Nedic, Roberto
Hernandez, Cyril Montel, Jr., Gene Pastrana, Jimmy Valenzuela and Jess
Toldoya.
That will be after the regular games of 2006 Palau National Chess Championship
where Sno is one of the participant.
A
lot of games are ongoing with Sno playing with his back on the main
road. It's about 7:00 pm at that time and I'm watching the games from
the sideline.
There's a
little bit of traffic when a black car slowed down. The passenger side
window open up, a young Palauan boy put out his air gun and pointed it
to Sno and fired it at point blank - about 2 feet.
Nobody
heard the shot as it is noisy with car engines and other street noises.
The shot hit Sno's nape. HE STILL CONTINUES PLAYING.
The
pellet of the air gun is just like a mosquito bite to him. I saw him
touch the part where the pellet hit him and he wipes the blood.
When
he noticed that there's some blood and not blood from dead mosquitoes,
he stopped playing and when he realized that he was shot by an air gun,
he go to his sports car and bring himself to the hospital.
I told Campomanes what happened to Sno and he's worried and ask somebody to follow him to the hospital to see how's he doing.
Everything
is okay with Sno absorbing the impact of an air gun. It's good that
firearms is not a common sight in Palau. If Sno was shot by even a small
caliber handgun at that range, he will not survive that even if he is a
Vietnam war veteran.
The
blitz chess tourney proceeded as planned with Campomanes showing his
superiority among inexperienced Palau players. He swept the field like a
tornado with only Manny Nedic able to draw with him.
NOTHING HAS BEEN PUBLISHED ABOUT THIS INCIDENT. NOT EVEN IN MY "CHESS MATE" COLUMN.
IT'S BEEN KEPT A SECRET FOR 7 YEARS... UNTIL NOW. IT WILL BE EXACTLY 7 YEARS ON MAY 14, 2013.
IT'S NOT A COINCIDENCE THAT THIS 500TH POSTS OF "PALAU CHESS" IS SOMETHING SPECIAL, MEMORABLE, MIND BOGGLING AND EXCLUSIVE!!!
Sources:
Chess and Music: Perfect Combination
The Beginning of Chess In Palau
To Be Published As A Book In The Future
The History of Chess in Palau
By Roberto Hernandez
June 09, 2002 -- May 14, 2006
CAMPOMANES
COMPLETES
MISSION
CAMPOMANES VISITS ROSE GARDEN RESORT
79-year-old Florencio Campomanes, former FIDE President for 14 years, practices blitz chess with Mark Anthony Lanceta. At left is Pat Remeliik and in the middle is Flor Hernandez. Behind Campomanes is Gene Pastrana, secretary/treasurer of Knights and Rooks Chess Club. Campomanes was instrumental in Palau being accepted as member of World Chess Federation (FIDE). He donated 5 chess clocks (mechanical) and 20 chess boards to the club. Another 20 digital chess clocks and 100 chess boards and pieces are on its way for Palau Chess Federation.
(Contributed photo by Roberto Hernandez)
FLORENCIO Campomanes, at 79, can still play quality chess for 72 straight hours!
He was the first National Master of the Philippines way back in 1954. He never became an International Master but produced a lot of it and Grand Masters (GM) during his 14-year term as president of International Chess Federation (FIDE).
He visited Palau for the first time on Thursday, May 11 and donated 5 mechanical chess clocks and 20 chessboards to Knights and Rooks Chess Club and Palau Chess Federation.
He played blitz chess with KRCC Chairman Roberto Hernandez and drew their first game. He beat Hernandez 4 straight before losing one.
KRCC Secretary/Treasurer Gene Pastrana played with him also but never won a single game.
Together with Palau Chess Federation (PCF) Chairman Francis 'Sno' Temaungil, they made a courtesy call with Philippine Ambassador Ramoncito Marino at the Philippine Embassy.
Campo knew Marino's father. During the call, Marino offered to sponsor the cash prizes of the rapid tournament to be called The Ambassador Cup-- a 25-minute game for each player to finish the game that will separate the men, women, rated and unrated (beginners). The format is now being prepared.
On Saturday morning, Campo was invited by Vice President Camsek Chin to Peleliu and was toured to the historical sites until 3:00 pm.
After the tour, he played blitz chess again with former champ Jess Toldoya, Pastrana and Hernandez.
Later that night, Campo and Pastrana visited Hernandez at Rose Garden Resort. They played 3 games and have a photo session with the employees and Hernandez' wife Flor.
They also make a draft letter for FIDE Secretariat to inform them that Palau might send a Delegate to FIDE World Chess Olympiad and Congress that coincides with the election of president in Torino, Italy that will start on May 15-June 05, 2006. If not, a proxy letter will be given to Campo.
THERE WERE ONLY 2 GAMES PLAYED IN THE 9TH ROUND OF NATIONAL CHESS CHAMPIONSHIP HELD ON MOTHER'S DAY, MAY 14 AT JEAN'S BOUTIQUE AND STORE PREMISES.
Pinoy Express Remittance is the sponsor of 6 trophies and $100.00 brilliancy prize through the courtesy of its manager, Manny Kimpo.
Manny Nedic nipped Palauan bet Morton Sawaichi in 35 moves of Queen's Gambit Declined while 2-time champ Menandro Manuel beat the other Palauan bet Francis 'Sno' Temaungil in 28 moves of Modern Defence.
Temaungil couldn' sustain his strong attack in the middle game and lost his 4th straight game.
Campomanes joined the 8-player blitz chess tourney held while he is waiting to leave Palau via Asian Spirit Airline's dawn flight.
The other players were Manuel, Hernandez, Toldoya, Nedic, Cyril Montel, Jr., Jimmy Valenzuela and Pastrana.
Manuel won all of his game except to Campo, who finished undefeated and was held to a draw by the wily Nedic.
Campo spent his cash prize on drinks.
THE FINAL STANDINGS OF PLAYERS AND THEIR WIN-LOSS-DRAW RECORD:
1. Campomanes (6-0-1) 2. Manuel (6-1-0) 3. Toldoya (3-3-1) 4. Nedic (3-3-1) 5. Hernandez (3-4-0) 6. Montel, Jr. (2-5-0) 7. Pastrana (2-5-0) 8. Valenzuela (1-5-1)
Solution to last week's puzzle: 1. Nd7+! Rxd7 2. Re8+!! Kxe8 3. Rg8 mate.
THIS WEEK'S PUZZLE:
Source: Chess Mate by Roberto Hernandez
Tia Belau Newspaper
Pages 9-10
Volume 18
May 19-26, 2006
