(974) 3rd TOURNEY OF THE YEAR -- THE 2015 PALAU RAPID CHESS CHAMPIONSHIP (TBN-July 20, 2015)

CHESS AND MUSIC PART 8 (The Beginning of Chess in Palau and Kyle)

            Roberto’s Chess and Music students are 1. Geaury Ken Pastrana 2. Mohammad Manik Hossain 3. Jasmine Yano 4. Paquito Suringa, Jr. 5. Ethan Nate Meyar 6. Dichem Tmetchul 7. Ultei Angelie Surangel and the latest one-- 8. Brandon Kyle Lagmay Soriano. A book will be written in the future with title “CHESS AND MUSIC –PERFECT COMBINATION” ‘The Beginning of Chess in Palau’ By Roberto Hernandez.                                  (Photo by Roberto Hernandez)

         3rd TOURNEY OF THE YEAR--

      THE 2015 PALAU RAPID CHESS

                    CHAMPIONSHIP

JUST A WEEK after the successful 2015 Unrated Chess Tournament has concluded, the 3^rd tournament organized by Palau Chess Federation will commence on Sunday, July 19 at Bethlehem Park—the 2015 Palau Rapid Chess Championship.

                The Open division is a 9-round Swiss system event to give chance to unrated and lower rated players play against Palau top chess players: NMs Roberto Hernandez, Cyril Montel, Jr. and Tito Cabunagan; CM Bernardo Garcia, Jeff Balbalosa, Dennis Gonzales and Paquito ‘Pax’ Suringa, Jr. In this division, the players have to play at least 2 games a week.

                The Women’s Division is a double round-robin event. It will be a test to surprise 3^rd place finisher  in the Unrated tourney Joan Gemota, to try her mettle against the top 3 women chess players of Palau: WNM Angelica Parrado, Baby Edna Mission and Gladys Anne Paloma. Roberto informed Joan that Palau is short of women chess players and she might make it to Palau Women’s Team to the 2016 World Chess Olympiad in Baku, Azerbaijan on Sept. 17-30.

                The Junior Division is also a double round-robin affair with the Sisior sisters leading the way and a preparation for their participation in the 2015 World Youth U-16 Chess Olympiad in Mongolia in Aug. Destiny, Angelil and Kyarii Sisior will be joined by their parents Angie and Harvey Sisior for another milestone in Palau chess history.

                Registration fee is $15.00 for members, $17.00 for non-members or $20.00 for non-members for an automatic membership which Arnolfo Inres, the Unrated champion, prefers, for a saving of $3.00. The I. D. of Palau chess players have been distributed by Jeff, who will miss this event because he is having a vacation. He will teach Roberto how to use the Swiss Perfect software to continue the event in his absence. That system makes the Swiss system events easier to organize and have an automatic guide for tiebreak which was used successfully in the 2015 Palau Blitz Chess Championship and the Unrated.

                In the 2015 Unrated Rapid Chess Tournament held at Bethlehem Park on Sunday, July 12, 2015, there were 7 unrated chess players, who registered, with the last one at 5pm and there is no time to play 4-round games so the organizers decided to hold it -- in one day, the next Sunday.

              The first 7 participants are 1. Koichi Matsuda, left, (Born on Feb. 10, 1944 -- tel. no. 778-9433) 2. Arnolfo Inres (Sept. 13, 1966 --Tel. 778-3287) 3. Joan Gemota (June 24, 1985 --Tel. 779-6454) 4. Pons Mahor (May 30, 1959) 5. Allan Alcid (April 13, 1964--Tel. 779-5618) 6. Johnny Carandang (Jan. 04, 1978--Tel. 778-2411) 7. Edward Artillaga (Oct. 01, 1988 Tel. 778-1143).
              The last 3 entrants are 8. Ariel Mina (Feb. 15, 1968 -- Tel. 779-8189) 9. Allan Bacuno (Nov. 18, 1979 - Tel. 488-5472) 10. Josef Karlo Moyet (Sept. 04, 1988 -- Tel. 488-4463).
              When the list of participants reached 10 entrees, the 1st round was set. Joan Gemota was fitted against Ariel Mina, who is watching the finals of a basketball game nearby. The defaulting time is just one minute and Joan earned her first win via default.
             In her game against Pons Mahor, Roberto noticed that Pons moved a pawn after Joan captured a bishop with a pawn that exposed her king for an illegal move. Since Pons didn't notify the arbiter about the illegal move and making a pawn move, Roberto explained to Joan that she has to move the king for it is under check.
             After moving her king, Pons captured a pawn with a pawn and 2 moves later, he made an illegal move (putting his queen to a dark diagonal where it is originally from a white diagonal. He said, "I think it's not the right place for a queen to be." Roberto traced where the queen came from and declared an illegal move. So Joan won another tough one via illegal move.
             In her 7th and last round game against Allan Bacuno, she is way behind materials as she has only a bishop and a king. But Allan is under extreme time pressure with 3 seconds left in his clock and when Allan's time expires, she reveled in excitement as she thought she won that game. Cyril Montel, Jr. noticed that it's not a win for her because she doesn't have enough materials to mate Allan's king. It doesn't matter as the half point is all she needed to win 3rd place for a trophy and $10.00 cash.
             Arnolfo Inres and Allan Alcid are tied for 1st place with identical 6.5 points after 7 rounds. They drew their game so the winner over the other tiebreak (Direct Encounter) can't be applied. 
             The Swiss Perfect software computed the other tiebreak and Inres emerged as champion with a trophy and $20.00 cash in which he pays for the next tournament on Sunday, July 19, the 2015 Palau Rapid Chess Championship.
              The coming event offers cash prizes of $100.00, $80.00, $60.00, $40.00 and $20.00 for the top 5 finishers in the Open division + trophies to the top 4 and medal for 5th. There are trophies and cash prize also in the women and junior divisions.

                Solution to last week’s puzzle No. 3753: (This is a very tricky puzzle that an average player can’t solve in an hour) 1. Qc4+! Kxc4 2. e4!! (The key move! White threatens mate on 3. Na3) …Rxa4 (preventing the first mate threat…BUT) 3. Nd6 mates still.

                This week’s puzzle No. 3754: White to move and mates in 3 (Solution next issue)

Source: Chess Mate by Roberto Hernandez

             Tia Belau Newspaper

             Pages 10-11

             Volume 24

             Issue 58

             July 20, 2015 

(879) CHESS MATE MARKS 3RD YEAR (TBN-Dec. 30. 2005- Jan. 06, 2006)

LONG CHESS TABLE DONATED BY NILO DE JESUS
     2-time Class B champion Jose Omega, left, playing against Manny Nedic in the 6th round of 2005 Open Chess Tournament on a long table donated by Nilo de Jesus to Knights and Rooks Chess Club on Jan. 11, 2004. Roberto Hernandez is playing against Ivan II Chess Computer using a wooden tournament size chessboard because Ivan II size is only 8".
                               (Photo by Roberto Hernandez)


    CHESS MATE MARKS 3RD YEAR 


CHESS in Palau started in June 09, 2002 while Chess Mate by Roberto Hernandez started in Dec. 29, 2002.

During the 3rd year of continuous chess tournaments in Palau, Jose Omega had been a 2-time Class B champion.

But in the 2005 Open Chess Tournament held at Privilege Store from May 22-Sept. 25, Jose emerged as champion at last via rapid format playoff against Bong Alipoon as they end up with the same score of 12 wins, 2 losses and 1 draw.

Omega also won a playoff against Mike Miguel, Jr. for the Class B championship of 2003 Age Group Chess Tourney for his first Class B plum.

The first tournament of 2005, the 2005 Regular Chess Tournament held from Jan. 16-April 17, marks the 2nd time that there is a multiple titled Palau player in Menandro 'Boy' Manuel. But the trend continues as Roberto Hernandez dealt Manuel his first and only loss at the final round. 

THE CHESS MATE LOGO IMPROVE TO THIS...

  

It is also in 2005 that Palau became a member of FIDE through the persistence of Roberto Hernandez and with the help from USA and Philippines Master Almario Marlon Bernardino, Jr., Mr. Manny Benitez (who passed away a few weeks ago), IA Gary Bekker, the late Honorary Lifetime President of FIDE Florencio Campomanes and Casto 'Toti' Abundo.

Mr. Campomanes words to the Presidential Board Meeting in Dresden, Germany is inspiring to the small countries like Palau --- "If we will not accept Palau as FIDE member, the other small nations who would like to join FIDE will be discouraged."

The last tournament of 2005 is the Rapid Chess Championship where 29 players have participated in a double round-robin format. It means, a player must play 56 games! Only Roberto was able to write the moves of all his games.

2005-2006 RAPID CHESS TOURNAMENT

October 23, 2005 – February 12, 2006

Double Round Robin

Venue: Jean’s Boutique and Store

FINAL STANDINGS

                    Players                                                                Win   Loss   Draw     Total

1. MENANDRO MANUEL                                            48        6          2          49  
2. EDWIN ETI                                                                 45        9          2          46
3. MANNY NEDIC                                                         45       11         0          45
4. CYRIL MONTEL, JR.                                                 39       11         6          42
5. BONG ALIPOON                                                       39       11         6          42
6. JIMMY VALENZUELA                                              40       13        3           41.5
7. ROBERTO HERNANDEZ                                          40       14         2          41
8. JOSE OMEGA                                                            39       14         3           40.5
9. JOSE MISAEL DE JESUS                                          40       15        1            40.5
10. FELIX LAPITAN                                                        30       18        8            34
11. JOEVEN DELOS SANTOS                                        33       21        2           34
12. JOEL AZANA                                                             29       20        7            32.5
13. IVAN II CHESS COMPUTER                                    15         7       34           32
14. RODIANTE BALAGSO                                             30        23       3            31.5
15. JESS GOMEZ                                                             24        21      11            29.5
16. GENE PASTRANA                                                    23        22      11            28.5
17. JERRY SERMENO                                                     21        23      12           27
18. DENNIS GONZALES                                                20        27       9            24.5
19. MORTON SAWAICHI                                               19        34       3            20.5
20. WILLIAM BLASQUINO                                           14       31       11           19.5
21. FRANCIS TEMAUNGIL                                           19       37        0            19
22. TUTII JOE CHILTON                                                17       37       2             18
23. FLAVIN ANDRES                                                      12       36       8             16
24. ERNIE MIJARES                                                         8        37       11           13.5
25. ROGELIO MENOR                                                     9        39        8            13
26. EM-R DE VERA                                                          8         38       10           13
27. JOHN PASTRANA                                                      6         46        4           8
28. JAMES DELA CRUZ                                                   3         48         5          5.5
29. LITO SALAS                                                               3         49        4            5

The tournament started in Oct. 23, 2005 and will conclude on Feb. 12, 2006.  The 12 years and under category was not finished because only 3 contestants registered -- Arnel Vincoy, Jielton Cabierte, Ken Pastrana and Ivan II Chess Computer.


Source: Chess Mate by Roberto Hernandez
            Tia Belau Newspaper
            Pages 10 - 11
            Volume 14
            Issue 52
            December 30, 2005-January 06, 2006
 

   

(570) CRAIG SNAPS TONY'S 7-GAME WIN STREAK (TBN-May 09-15, 2008)

KOROR STATE Legal Counsel Craig Dittrich finally ended the surging blitz chess specialist Antonio Villa in a last game marathon match on Sunday, May 04 at Jean's Boutique and Store in the resumption of 2008 Palau National Chess Championship.

After dominating mostly newcomers, Villa succumbed to pressure of being a piece down in an endgame with isolated pawns. He was forced to move a touched piece that resulted in being a piece down.

With Dittrich taking full advantage of the time control that fits his style of play, he exploited his advantage with Villa trying to salvage at least a draw.

With two more victories over the father and son participants on Monday evening, Dittrich is in solo 2nd place and looking forward to his first chess title in Palau.

Other results of previous games: 2nd seed Jose Omega defeated Dennis Lara, a cook at Palau Royal Resort, in 38 moves of Slav Defence in a game held at Dormitory 1 of PRR on April 29th; 5th seed Roberto Hernandez won his first game over Jimboy de Jesus in 29 moves of Sicilian Defence on Saturday, May 03; 3rd seed Cyril Montel, Jr. also plyed his first game on Sunday and drew a tough game with Andres 'Aying' Mestizo in a marathon 76-move of King's Indian Defence; Villa spoiled Elizalde Madrinan's first tournament game with a 35-move conquest of Sicilian Defence; Dittrich dealt Mestizo another loss in 56 moves of Queen's Gambit Accepted.

De Jesus scored a full point over Mercado in 40 moves of Bishop Opening; Mestizo lost to Villa in 31 moves of Queen's Pawn Opening (this game was published last week where it should be Mercado vs. Mestizo); Madrinan suffered another tough loss to Palau first National Master Manny Nedic; Dittrich and Mercado halved the point in another long game; Villa spoiled another debut tournament play of newcomer Elpidio Manaligod; Mestizo lost another game to Nedic.

Madrinan drew with 10-year old Ken Pastrana after the boy accepted his offer of a truce with a whole rook advantage; Manaligod suffered the same fate of Eli and lost his 2nd game to de Jesus; Mercado and de Jesus extracted a full point off Mohammad Manik Hossain, the lone Bangladeshi participant.

Monday evening results: (All players with the black pieces won) Hossain lost to Gene Pastrana, his first game of the tourney; Ken Pastrana lost to Dittrich; Hossain scored his 2nd win by clobbering Mestizo and Pastrana totes a 1-1 slate after losing to Dittrich.

Jess Toldoya, the 2004 Non-master chess champion, withdraw from the tournament after the death of his youngest son. Em-R de Vera, the 2005 Junior Rapid chess champion, will also join the field with Menandro Manuel paying his registration fee of $20.00.

Manuel also confirmed his participation but he had to go to Yap for 2 weeks on May 15, 2008 and will catch up when he returns.

Source: Chessmate by Roberto Hernandez
            Tia Belau Newspaper
            Pages 13 & 15
            Volume 18  
            May 09-15, 2008

(568) 21 PLAYERS JOIN NATIONAL CHESS CHAMPIONSHIP (TBN-May 2-8, 2008)

           
THIS YEAR'S National Chess Championship attracts 21 chess players all around Palau to test their chess savvy and get a chance to have international ranking.

It is more than double of the last year's participants with the inclusion of inactive player Jose Misael G. de Jesus, Jr. or 'Jimboy', who played the first game of NCC on Saturday, April 26 against Koror State Legal Counsel Craig Dittrich in their Bishop Openig game.

Dittrich sacrficed a knight for a pawn on the 19th move and obtain a strong attack but overlooked another neat knight sacrifice two moves later and succumbed to pressure and resigned on the 28th move.

The first game on Sunday, April 27 was between 28-year old Michael Mercado vs. Jaime Guevarra, a 36-year old pastry chef at Palau Royal Resort and having his rare Sunday day off. Even without much preparation, Guevarra prevailed in 40 moves of Center Counter.

The surprise entree of the NCC is Ken Pastrana, the 10-year old youngest son of Gene Pastrana, who is Palau no. 4 with FIDE rating of 1870 and the venue host of the event which is Jean's Boutique and Store, just across Maris Stella School.

Another surprise entrant is Mohammad Manik Hossain, a Bangladesh national, who always practice with the older Pastrana on weekends.

Ken and Hossain played on Sunday and they drew their game via stalemate as Ken failed to maintain his overwhelming advantage into a victory in another Center Counter game.

Blitz chess specialist Tony Villa scored five consecutive wins against Hossain in 24 moves of Queen's Pawn Opening; over Jimboy in 27 moves of Bishop Opening; against Mercado in a marathon 76 moves of Queen's Pawn Opening; over Andres 'Aying' Mestizo II and basketball player Eric Espartero, who trounced Hossain in 54 moves of Petroff Defence.

Villa will be having a vacation on May 29 and he likes to finish all his games before going. Players are requested to play with him even on non-playing days.

Guevarra halved the point with Jimboy in 40 moves of King's Pawn Opening after realizing that there is no breakthrough in their bishop of opposite color endgame. And Guevarra had a 50% day of chess after losing to Palau's number 2 Jose Omega in their Sicilian Defence game encounter.

Mestizo was winless in 3 tries as he lost also to Jimboy and Espartero. He's neophyte in tournament game where writing chess notations is mandatory. The same fate happened to Mercado as he lost his third game to Espartero.

Omega has set a match against Dennis Lara, a cook at Palau Royal Resort, on Tuesday, April 29 at 12:00 to 3:00 pm at Dormitory 1 of PRR.

Other players who haven't seen action in the opening day are Menandro Manuel, Cyril Montel, Jr., Manny Nedic, who showed up but didn't play, Jess Toldoya, Arnel Pama, Elizalde Madrinan, Paquito Suringa (on vacation and will be back on May 14), Palau's no. 5 Roberto Hernandez, PRR Musician, and Jan Berglund, the International Arbiter/Trainer from Sweden who will come to Palau on May 15.

The tournament is still open to interested players like Dennis Gonzales, Val Vidar of PPR and the new worker (4-time champion in Philippines). Registration fee is $20.00. For more information, please call Roberto Hernandez at 488-2000 ext 114 or Gene Pastrana at 488-4640.

Source: Chessmate by Roberto Hernandez
              Tia Belau Newspaper
              Pages 13 & 15
              Volume 28
             May 02-08, 2008

(493) CHESS AND MUSIC (TBN-June 22-28, 2007)

IN THEIR own way, chess and music are considered art in different perspective.

If combined together, a good harmony to the mind and soul could develop.

What would you feel if you are playing chess against the top player of Palau while your son is piano music with another boy playing guitar?

That's what happened last Sunday, Father's Day, June 17 at Jean's Boutique and Store.


There is no ongoing at the time and National Master Menandro 'Boy' Manuel is playing blitz chess with many times venue host Gene Pastrana.

During Pastrana's son (Ken) music session, a boy with guitar (Jielton Cabierte), visited Ken and they jammed together some easy songs with Palau's 4th ranked player Roberto Hernandez, who is now the resident musician at Palau Royal Resort (PRR).

The trio's music somehow inspired the older Pastrana as he dominated Manuel in their games.

He even managed to draw a seemingly lost position by perpetual check.

At some point, the two are humming with the group when they played popular tunes like Jamaica Farewell, Leaving On A Jetplane, Jambalaya, Achy Breaky Heart, Green Green Grass of Home, Cotton Fields, Tom Dooley, Tiny Bubbles, the Mexican song La Cucaracha, Spanish song Rancho Grande and 2 of the most popular Filipino songs in Palau "Anak" (Son) and "Kumusta Ka" (How Are You).

Cabierte's father is playing guitar with the Sacred Heart Catholic church's choir.

He taught his son how to play guitar and he's done a good job as Hernandez saw great potential from Jielton, who participated in 3 chess tournaments last year.

He finished 2nd runner-up to Ken in those 3 outings and won $50.00 in the inaugural Ambassador Marino Cup Rapid Chess tournament held last year (June 25, July 02, July 09, 2006).

The Philippine Ambassador Ramoncito Marino donated $1,000.00 prize pot to that tourney which was divided into 4 divisions: rated, beginners, juniors and women.

Hernandez and Jose Omega won the rated division while Vincent Vergara of Moylan's Insurance topped the beginner's section.

Ken emerged as the only unbeaten player of the tilt and pocketed $75.00 while Hernandez' wife Flor, subdued Ms. Juvy Bulan for the title in a cliffhanger tiebreak game.

In Hernandez' 2 weeks stay at PRR's Dormitory 1, he discovered some good chess players with potential to be a rated player.

One of them is Nino Flores, who almost defeated Hernandez in their first 2 games after the former missed endgame tactics.

Arnel Pama is seriously considering a chess career and Mr. Jaime Guevarra is surely one of the more experienced who can make it if he will take the game seriously.

This year's Ambassador Marino Cup will go international as 2 NM from Philippines and USA confirmed their participation in the event to be held from August 30-Septermber 03, 2007.

Source: Chessmate by Roberto Hernandez
Tia Belau Newspaper
Page 13
Volume 17
June 22-28, 2007

(491) CHESS ENVIRONMENT (TBN-June 08-14, 2007)

ASIA'S first Grandmaster Eugene Torre of the Philippines learned chess at age 5 from his father.

He grew up in a family that plays chess. His brother became a National Master but didn't achieve farther than Eugene, who is the only player in the world to represent his country at board 1 in 17 consecutive Chess Olympiad.

In Palau, chess is not popular as other sports and kids' tournament in 2003 lured many potential and aspiring woodpushers to enjoy the game of kings.

One of them is Dmitri Villanueva, who joined in an open event that included him to play against senior players.

His father Norbert also participated and was bracketed in Class B division after a 5-round classification.

Dmitri's game against compatriot Tutii Joe Chilton drew some attention to some serious chess critics as he sacrificed a whole knight without any material consideration except to maintain his initiative in mounting a bewildering attack.

Had he seen the counter attack of Chilton that cost him a whole rook, he might have won his first victory against a strong senior player.

When he played against 58-year-old Ben Ramos, the then 8-year Dmitri got the biggest age differential between 2 chess players in Palau's chess history.

Last Sunday, June 03 at Jean's Boutique and Store, Ken Pastrana, the youngest son of venue host Gene, practiced chess games with Emmie Buyacao as no current tournament is going on.

When Ken won a bishop, he even said "Thank you" to Emmie and continue to improve his game and fast becoming the best junior player in Palau.

He, like Eugene Torre, is in a chess playing environment where the chess materials of Knights and Rooks Chess Club are being taken care of by his father.

He is always around when a tournament is being held in the place where he lives and has a chance to see quality games being played around him all the time.

In the inaugural Ambassador Marino Cup Rapid Chess tournament held last year, he became the only undefeated player in the tilt where he dominated the junior division.

Although this year's 2nd Ambassador Marino Cup will not include juniors, he still can experience to see international players playing quality games in front of his very eyes.

Two National Masters from Philippines have confirmed to participate in the 2nd Palau Invitational Chess Championship (PICC) which will now be known as the Ambassador Marino Cup as the ever-busy ambassador had pledged the $1,000.00 prize pot and 2 round trip tickets (Palau-Manila-Palau) as additional prize.


Solution to last week's puzzle: 1. Rxf5+! gxf5 2. Qf5+ Kh6 3. Qg5 mate. If 1. ...Kg4 2. Rg5 mate.

Source:
Chessmate by Roberto Hernandez
Tia Belau Newspaper
Page 13
Volume 17
June 08-14, 2007

(456) DMITRI IS TOP SEED IN KIDS' CHESS TILT (TBN-Dec. 08-15, 2006)

ONCE dubbed as the future of Palau's chess, 11-year-old Dmitri Villanueva will lead the Christmas break tournament this month as his mother Martha confirmed his participation in the inaugural event.

In early January of 2003 tournament held at Image Restaurant, Dmitri became the youngest participant and after the 5-round classification that determined the Class A and B group, he was in the bracket of 14, 17 and the oldest player at 58, Ben Ramos.

When he played Ramos in the 1st round of the double round-robin affair, it became the biggest age differential in Palau chess history that the organizers held a separate tourneys for kids in the preceeding tournaments.

The 2003 Age Group Chess tournament should have been a first for Dmitri to earned a chess trophy had he finished the triple round-robin event that saw the emergence of eventual champion Jayrome Soriano, who won $50.00 cash prize in the unrated division of Ambassador Marino Cup Rapid Chess tournament held on June 25, July 01 and July 09 at the Philippine Embassy Office.

Ken Pastrana, the 9-year-old son of Knights and Rooks Chess Club secretary/treasurer Gene Pastrana, is asking if he can join the tournament which is only for Palauan kids 15 years and below.

He was born in Palau and if that makes him eligible, some more players will join the field like Arnel Corona, who's father is married to a Palauan. Jielton Cabierte is also interested.

The officers and members of KRCC will have a meeting regarding this matter.

Meanwhile, registration is still going on for the kids' tournament which will be held everyday during Christmas break.

The final round of the 2006 Rapid Chess tournament will be held this Sunday, December 10 at Jean's Boutique and Store.

In the penultimate round held on Sunday, December 03, top seed Menandro Manuel dealt newcomer-veteran Tony Villa his 3rd loss of the tournament.

Villa nipped NM Manny Nedic to keep his hope intact for at least a tie at first place.

Nedic needs to win over Manuel and all of his remaining matches to forge a triple tie for the championship.

The touch move violation committed by Villa in his 2nd game against Roberto Hernandez was settled in favor of the latter.



Source:
Chessmate by Roberto Hernandez
Tia Belau Newspaper
December 08-15, 2006

(403) KRCC CHRISTMAS PARTY DEC. 18

FIRST TROPHY IN 2 TRIES
Manny Nedic, right, receives his 3rd runner-up trophy from Knights and Rooks Chess Club Chairman Roberto Hernandez. Nedic won his first-ever trophy in his 2nd try. He is currently in 4th place at the 2005 Rapid Chess tournament with a 12-2-0 win-loss-draw record and the only player to have beaten current leader Menandro Manuel.
(Photo by Roberto Hernandez)

THE OFFICERS and members of Knights and Rooks Chess Club held another meeting Sunday, December 11 after the completion of all games in the 8th week of the 2005 Rapid Chess Tournament sponsored by Helena Yoichi and Gene Pastrana of Jean's Boutique.

They agreed to have a Christmas party on December 18 at 12:00 noon. Members were assigned a dish or two for the event that will also hold selected regular games and blitz chess festival later in the afternoon.

Roberto Hernandez will prepare tilapia fish and rice; Cyril Montel, Jr. -- lumpia shanghai; Dennis Gonzales -- pancit; Manny Nedic -- one big fish; Bong Alipoon -- assorted fruits; Menandro Manuel --fish kilawin; William Blasquino -- roast pig's head (2); and Pastrana -- one case of soda. $5.00 each will be collected for additional drinks.

Other players and members will be informed through this column and telephone calls.

A separate 12-under category was started when the required 4-player minimum registered. They are Jielton Cabierte, Zyron Singson, John Farinas and Ken Pastrana, the youngest son of Gene, who is now leading the division by winning over Singson and Cabierte.

He drew his 2nd game with Singson via 3-move repetition.

Farinas and Singson split their match (1-1) in the double round-robin format. The division also include Ivan II Chess Computer in its easy level.

Another division (16-under) will also be organized if former kiddie champion Em-R de Vera, 15, can get another 3 junior players to join.
He already played 5 games in the senior division, winning 2 and losing the first three.

RESULTS OF THE 8TH WEEK: (12 TOTAL GAMES PLAYED)
Pastrana drew with Hernandez in 61 moves of a bishop-of-the-same-color endgame; de Vera swept Francis 'Sno' Temaungil; 3 more sweeps followed as Ivan II Chess Computer drubbed Gonzales; Alipoon trounced Pastrana and Nedic dealt Gonzales his 2nd sweep of the day.
Nedic collected another point over Blasquino to dislodge Pastrana at 4th spot; Blasquino defeated Temaungil but lost to Alipoon in the last game of the day.

A young Chinese national would like to join the field on Sunday. He had to play as many games as he could to catch up.

The Chinese women's team won the World Chess Olympiad last year in Spain.


Solution to last week's puzzle: 1. ... Qxh2+! 2. Kxh2 hxg3+ 3. Kg2 Rh2 mate.

Source: Chessmate by Roberto Hernandez
Tia Belau Newspaper
Volume XIV
Issue 50
December 16-23, 2005

(395) A LITTLE LEAGUE OF THEIR OWN

A LITTLE LEAGUE OF THEIR OWN

THREE young boys showed interest in participating in the ongoing 2005 Rapid Chess Tournament sponsored by Helena Yoichi and Gene Pastrana of Jean's Boutique.

Jielton Cabierte, 8, Xyron Songson, 10, and Ken Pastrana, 8, and the youngest son of Gene, has requested the Knights and Rooks Chess Club Chairman Roberto Hernandez to have their own age group chess tournament since all of them are just learning the game.

Hernandez assured the boys that a 10 years and under tournament would be established if there are at least 4 participants, and Ivan II Chess Computer would act as the 5th contestant.

The tournament for the 10 years and under division will be a triple round-robin and Hernandez will put up the money for the first place and 2nd place trophies.

Nirblush Tmechtul showed in interest in taking the 4th spot, but maybe unable to attend. That would allow an opening for a beginner player(s) to enter the 10 years and under league.

The tournament will be held at Jean's Boutique on Sunday, November 13, 2005.

Invitation has also been extended to the Palau community to participate in the senior division, which has 7 new members participating in the rapid chess double-round robin tournament.

The league now has 23 players and each of them has played at least 44 games against participants with varying strategies and skill levels.

In the past weeks, newcomer Jess Gomez ended the 7-game winning streak of 2-time champion Menandro Manuel in an endgame of king and knight against his king, knight and a pawn.

This did not stop Manuel from extending his overall lead to 3.5 points advantage.

Top seed and defending champion Jose Omega clobbered Rogelio Menor in their Sicilian Defence game.

Cyril Montel, Jr. scored 2 easy victories over Menor and Flavin Andres. Jimmy Valenzuela swept Gene Pastrana and Menor and moved into the 9th spot after beating after beating both James dela Cruz and Em-R de Vera.

Menor, however, lost his match to Jerry Sermeno. Manny Nedic is now is 8th spot with his 4th straight wins.



Solution to last week's puzzle: 1. Bc6 and any move by black will lead to mate in 2.
This week's puzzle: Black to move and mates in 3
(Solution next issue)

Solutions: *Puzzles studied by Flavin Andres and Roberto Hernandez.

Source: Chessmate by Roberto Hernandez
Tia Belau Newspaper
Volume XIV
Issue 45
November 11-18, 2005