(707) PHOTOS -- 2014 PALAU OPEN CHESS TOURNAMENT

Tito Cabunagan, left, underestimated John Joseph Pabiona, right, in the first round of supposed to be 5-round Swiss system 2014 Palau Open Chess Tournament and lost when he blundered away his queen.
                                                           (Photo by Roberto Hernandez)

Neph Macasaet is closely watching the Cabunagan-Pabiona match while Jose Celiz and Cyril Montel, Jr. are waiting for their opponent Joy Flores Whipps and Allan Leuterio respectively. They didn't show up for 3 weeks.                                          (Photo by Roberto Hernandez)

Manuel 'Jun' Mahor, Jr., left, is practicing with Elpidio Manaligod. Both have skipped the tournament for different reasons. Jeff Balbalosa is also practicing with Alfredo Pacenos, Jr.  (Photo by Roberto Hernandez)

The 2nd official game of 2014 Palau Open -- Charley Patris, left, vs. Baby Edna Mission. Their game ended in a draw with bishop-of-opposite-color endgame.                  (Photo by Roberto Hernandez)
                 

Gladys Anne Paloma, right, defeated Jose Rodriguez Senase, former reporter of Tia Belau and now reporter of Island Times. Jose was mated in 17 moves of King's Pawn Opening game.

Island Times Reporter Peter Erick Magbanua, right, played his first serious chess game in the 1st round of 2014 Palau Open against Rafael Paloma in which their game lasted till 7pm.  (Photo by Roberto Hernandez)

It's almost 7pm and Peter Erick Magbanua of Island Times, left, and Rafael Paloma are still playing even with low lighting available only from the electric power post. Peter already lost his queen and in passive position but still carry on. Roberto leave them at 6:50pm as he has to take his dinner and attend the Evangelistic Night at Pentecostal Missionary Church of Christ (4th Watch) Palau Locale.

(Photo by Roberto Hernandez)

The first and longest game of the 2014 Palau Open (now round-robin) was played at Bethlehem Park on March 30, 2014 between Candidate Master Bernardo Garcia, right, and Palau Chess Federation Treasurer Dennis Gonzales which ended in a draw. Both have 2 pawns, a rook and a king.

(Photo by Roberto Hernandez)

Roberto Hernandez taught Neph Macasaet, right, how to write chess notations before his game with Alfredo Pacenos, Jr., left, with PCF Honorary Member Koichi Matsuda watching in the middle. Pacenos prevailed with Macasaet struggling with analysis, writing chess notation and pressing the time clock.
                                                          (Photo by Roberto Hernandez)

Angie Parrado, left, lost a drawish game against Jeff Balbalosa in another bishop of opposite color endgame. She missed a bishop move that will surely draw the position.            (Photo by Roberto Hernandez)

After losing in the first round, Tito Cabunagan, left, bounced back from defeat and scored 2 points off 2 women members of Palau Chess Team to 2014 World Chess Olympiad in Tromso, Norway Baby Edna Mission, right, and WNM Angelica Parrado. In the middle is the Garcia-Gonzales match while Nilo de Jesus, who skipped this tourney, watch from the sideline.       (Photo by Roberto Hernandez)

FRONT AND BEHIND.  Tito Cabunagan defeated the top 2 women players of Palau. In front of him, Baby Edna Mission, aka Bheng Codinera Mendoza and WNM Angelica Parrado. 

(Photo by Roberto Hernandez)

2nd game of the day for Neph Macasaet, left, vs. Palau top chess player Cyril Tomas Montel, Jr. Another loss but another gain of experience. KEEP GOING, NEPH!           (Photo by Roberto Hernandez)

And the 3rd game of the day for Neph, this time against Roberto Hernandez. After their game, Roberto teaches him the opening moves of Sicilian Defence (Najdorf Variation, Dragon Variation) and the dreaded Danish Gambit where 4 pawns were sacrificed for very quick development of white's pieces.
                                                       (Photo by Roberto Hernandez)

(704) 2014 PALAU OPEN TO FINISH ROUND 1 ON MARCH 23 (TBN-March 24, 2014)

THANK YOU PASTOR JERIC DELA CRUZ


PMCC Pastor Jeric dela Cruz, 5^th from right, back row, brings back the repaired laptop of Roberto Hernandez, 3^rd from left, when he visited Palau for PMCC 9^th Thanksgiving and Spiritual Empowerment. At Roberto’s right is Mr. Yoshiharu Kurata, a senior JICA Volunteer, who rendered 2 numbers during the Gospel Concert. Squatting (L-R) Russel and Alex Lumawon, Darwil Cal and Patrick. Back row (R-L) Allan Sauro, Jun Quintana, Jhoie Salvador, Luz Palma, Norberto Singian, Rolly Adducul and Ryan Carandang. They are all participants of the Gospel Concert.           (Photo by Roberto Hernandez)


     2014 PALAU OPEN TO FINISH
          ROUND 1 ON MARCH 23
 

ONLY one game was played in the 1^st round of 2014 Palau Open Chess. New comer John Joseph Pabiona, with a FIDE Standard rating of 1214 and a more impressive Blitz rating of 1616, upset 4^th seed Tito Cabunagan (1829) in 47 moves of Center Counter.

                Tito lost his queen for a knight after being ahead by a bishop. Over-confidence cost Tito a whole point as Pabiona simplified the game and is about to win the last minor piece of Tito when the latter resigned. Tito stopped writing his moves on the 15^th move. Pabiona is not writing his moves because he has not been taught yet to write chess notations.

                Writing chess notations in this 90-minute time control is mandatory. Roberto Hernandez taught Jose Senase Rodriguez how to write chess notation before his game with Gladys Anne Paloma, who didn’t show up also. He will teach Charley Patris this Sunday how to write chess notations before his game with Baby Edna Mission.

                The Palau Chess Federation Board Members and its president held a meeting on Wed. March 19 and one of the tackled agenda is to finish the 1^st round of the event on Sunday. Absent players will lose by default so that the 2^nd round can begin on March 30. Players are also advised to pay their registration fee of $10.00 before playing their game. NO PAY NO PLAY will be implemented.

                The list of players listed at www.fide.com is COMPLETE for STANDARD RATED PLAYERS, which is 61. The Rapid/Blitz (17 players), unrated (22) and Rated but inactive (19) if totaled with Standard is 119.

                The year of birth of the players is listed in the website so that journalists can cite ages to indicate who are battling: youth vs. experience, youth vs. youth. It’s also indicative of possible progress for young ones. The difference in citing age or citing birth year is not an issue as it is published in the website anyway. Chess is for ages 5 to 105; meaning one is never too young or too old to learn and progress in chess.

            Poet Kahlil Gibran cited to FIDE, the World Chess Federation, should make this required reading for all chess parents: “Your children are not your children. They are the sons and daughters of life’s longing for itself. They come through you but not from you. And though they are with you yet they belong not to you. You may give them love but not your thoughts. For they have their own thoughts. You may house their bodies but not their souls. For their souls dwell in the house of tomorrow, which you cannot visit, not even in your dreams. You may strive to be like them, but seek not to make them like you. For life goes not backward nor tarries with yesterday.”

Solution to last week’s puzzle: 1. Qxg6+!! hxg6 2. Bxg6+ Ke7 3. Bc5 mate.

This week’s puzzle: White to move and mates in 3 (Solution next issue)

Source: Chessmate by Roberto Hernandez

             Tia Belau Newspaper

             Page 9

             Volume 23

             Issue 24

            March 24, 2014 

(393) NEW PHIL. CONSUL TO PALAU IS ALSO PRES. OF PALAU CHESS FED.

ERIC Ksau Whipps is the Philippines Honorary Consul to Palau.

This was confirmed by Philippines Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) Assistant Secretary Ma. Theresa Lazaro in an interview at the Palau Pacific Resort (PPR) yesterday.

Lazaro is in Palau for discussions with top government officials on a wide range of issues.

Asec. Lazaro disclosed that Whipps' appointment has recently been approved by the Palau government.

Whipps said he will do his best as the representative of the Philippines to Palau.

An Honorary Consul functions much like an ambassador and takes care of some problems faced by Filipino citizens living and working in a foreign land.

The DFA promised strong backing to Whipps, a businessman by profession. He is married to a Filipina, Joy Flores-Whipps.

Later on, a non-resident ambassador will be appointed to oversee Palau and help Whipps with his duties.

That official, who will be based in Manila, will be traveling to Palau on a regular basis to help in taking care of the welfare of Filipinos living and working in the island nation.

The appointment of an Honorary Consul has been sought by many with the closure of the Philippine Embassy here.

The closure of the Philippine Embassy has become a real problem for Filipinos who found themselves without effective representation.

There are more than 4,000 Filipinos in Palau, most of whom are workers. Abuse of foreign workers is rampant in Palau, and the Embassy before it closed down, was the place most of these abused workers find refuge.

Before Whipps' appointment, the Asia-Pacific Division of the DFA handled Palau.


Source: Tia Belau Newspaper
Pages 1 & 11
Volume 22
Issue 17
February 28, 2013

                    TOP PI FOREIGN AFFAIRS
             OFFICIAL VISITS

Philippine Foreign Affairs ASEC Ma. Theresa Lazaro, 3rd from right, with (L-R) Jose Senase of Tia Belau, Peter Erick Magbanua of Island Times, ? , Joy Flores-Whipps --wife of new consul Eric Ksau Whipps, ?.


A TOP official of the Philippines Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) is in Palau for a series of discussions on a variety of issues concerning Philippine-Palau relationship.

DFA Assistant Secretary Ma. Theresa Lazaro arrived here on Tuesday. She will be flying back to Manila on Friday.

During her visit, Lazaro had talks with President Tommy Remengesau, Jr., Vice President Tony Bells, Senate President Camsek Chin, and House of Delegates (HOD) Speaker Sabino Anastacio.

Among the topics discussed were cooperation in the areas of labor and fisheries. The welfare of the Filipino workers were also discussed.

In their talks, Lazaro said that the government officials here have been very cooperative and supportive and she was optimistic ofn the further strengthening of relations between the two countries despite the closure of the Philippine Embassy here.

The Philippine Embassy in Koror closed down last July 31, 2012.

There is also a proposal for the training of Palauan diplomats in the Philippines and schooling of teachers at the Philippine Normal University (PNU).

"I am just short of pushing things," she disclosed.

Though not yet official, Lazaro disclosed that Philippine President Benigno Aquino has invited President Remengesau for a visit.

She also had a press conference with the local media where she announced the appointment of Eric Ksau Whipps as Philippine Honorary Consul to Palau.

The press conference was attended by Island Times reporter Peter Erick Magbanua of Davao City, Philippines and Jose Senasa of Tia Belau.

Lazaro was accompanied here by several directors of the DFA.



Source: Tia Belau Newspaper
Page 2
Volume 22
Issue 17
February 28, 2013