(706) PALAU CHESS FEDERATION 2006 CALENDAR OF EVENTS

THE HIGHLIGHT OF PALAU CHESS FEDERATION 2006 CALENDAR OF EVENTS
   Roberto Hernandez, left, and Australian Gary Bekker, right, and President of Oceania Zonal, are the brainchild of the inaugural 2006 Palau Invitational Chess Championship where the top 6 Palau chess players gained their initial FIDE rating.
                                                                 (Photo by Roberto Hernandez) 



             PALAU CHESS FEDERATION
            2006 CALENDAR OF EVENTS

1. January 08 (Sunday) - February 12
     Resumption of the 2005-2006 Rapid Chess Tourney
     at Jean's Boutique premises. Sponsored by Helena
     Yoichi and Gene Pastrana.

2. March 05- May 29
    Palau National Chess Championship. 13-round Swiss 
    System. The Champion will become Palau first National
    Master. The venue is Palau Community College?
    SPONSORS -- Pinoy Express Remittance (Palau) c/o
                         Manny Kimpo  -- Trophies
                         William Blasquino -- Cash prizes

3. June 18 - August 13
     PALAU OPEN CHESS TOURNAMENT
     Venue and Sponsors -- To be announced later

4. August 31-September 04
    FIDE-rated PALAU INVITATIONAL CHESS CHAMPIONSHIP.
    10-player single round-robin. Two games a day will
    have to be played. 4 FIDE-rated players from Australia,
    New Zealand, Philippines or Fiji or Papua New Guinea
    will be invited. Venue -- Palau Royal Resort.
    Mr. Gary Bekker -- Sponsor of cash prizes:
                                  Champion -- $300.00
                                  2nd place --  $200.00
                                  3rd place --  $100.00
                      Palau top finisher -- $100.00

5. September 24 - December 18
    RAPID CHESS TOURNAMENT
    Time Control -- 30 minutes for each player to finish
                              the game.
    Blitz Chess tourney after the completion of regular
                              games. Registration -- $5.00

6. December 18
    Knights And Rooks Chess Club Christmas Party.
    Each player is asked to bring one dish.

7. December 18
    CHRISTMAS BLITZ CHESS FESTIVAL
    10-minute time control.
    Registration fee -- $5.00
    The champion will keep half of the cash collected.
    The other half will be spent on drinks.

8. December 26, 2006 - January 08, 2007
    CHRISTMAS BREAK RAPID CHESS TOURNAMENT FOR 
                                PALAUAN KIDS
    Double Round-Robin if the contestants reach 6 players.
    Single round-robin if there are 10 contestants.
    Registration fee -- $10.00
    Time controL -- 30 minutes for each player to finish
                               the game.


Source: History of Chess In Palau
            By Roberto Hernandez
            January 2006
      
              

(110) AN ITALIAN CHESS TALE (TBN-Jan. 07-14, 20050

On August 01, 2004, an Italian tourist won the one-day blitz chess tourney organized by Knights and Rooks Chess Club at Filco Thrift Mart in Malakal.

Before going back to Italy, Mr. Andrea Buriani and his wife Stefania had dinner at Image Restaurant where Roberto Hernandez played Italian songs for them and discussed Mr. Buriani's experience of playing chess in Italy.

His wife generously offered to send Roberto Hernandez some newer CDs of Italian songs that he received two months later with a letter and email addresses.

Hernandez emailed to thank them and also to inform Mr. Buriani that the next World Chess Olympiad will be held in Torino, Italy in 2006.

THE FOLLOWING IS HIS EMAIL REPLY:

Dear Roberto, Hi! Sorry for the delay of my reply (and for my terrible English writing, of course!), but I had some trouble with my email account. If you may, please send your next mails also to stefania.dalrio@monrigroup.net   stefania_dalrio@ilrestodelcarlino.it

aburiani@libero.it   aburiani@supereva.it

So, I hope to reply a little bit soon!

I'm very glad to know that chess activities are going up and increasing in Palau. I think also that Eddie (Grefiel) could have a very bad time with you. Maybe Palau will have a new rapid champion next year...

Nowadays, Italian chess team is not really strong. I know...yes of course I know Torino. It is in the north of Italy, near France, not to close to Bologna, the city where I live, but really not so far (about 350 kilometers of 200 miles).

Sure, I will go there for one day in 2006 to assist to Olympiads. I really, really hope to see Palau chess team playing Chess Olympics there!

Torino is quite a nice city. If you come here, you will see a typical historical European town. You will also see real Alps snow here, and you will ski in very beautiful places, if you dare!

So, by the way, what is the matter with International Chess Federation (FIDE)? Do you think they will accept soon Palau as independent chess federation?

Obviously, I'm also very glad you have mentioned me in your chess column. I would like a lot to read about it. If you may, please, you could send me by mail the image of the article, or also the simple text.

I'm always really very glad to think about my time in Palau. I had a very good time there, not just for the chess stuff, but mostly because I met nice and gentle people like you and other friends.

I hope to hear soon some Palau news!

Bye bye for now!

Andrea Buriani

On Christmas day, Eddie Grefiel paid a visit to Hernandez in his staff house and discussed chess. Grefiel's early stage in learning chess is quite similar to what was experienced by former world chess champion Robert James Fischer of the United States who subordinated everything for chess.

Grefiel's brother and friends refused to play against him then because he was not good enough for them. Challenged, he stayed in his room for hours studying chess openings and endgames and later, the middle game.

He went out of the room just to eat and resumed his study. After three months, he beat his brother and his friends. There was no turning back. He represented his school to a regional championship which he won.

On January 02, Roberto's 49th birthday, Grefiel visited him again and they played 10-minute blitz games most of which he won. Bong Alipoon came to visit Hernandez' neighbors and played alternately with them until 10:00 pm. He scored only one win  over Grefiel in more that 10 games.

Grefiel's advise to all chess players: (the same as Viktor Korchnoi's and Josh Waltskin's advise)  " STUDY MORE ENDGAMES THAN OPENINGS. "

Source: 

Chess Mate by Roberto Hernandez

Tia Belau Newspaper 

  January 07-17, 2005

(80) GRAND PLAN FOR PALAU CHESS PUSHED

GRAND PLAN FOR PALAU CHESS PUSHED
(Palau Horizon -- January 4-6, 2005)

Morton Sawaichi, left, is up against Tutii Joe Chilton. Their game won Morton the Brilliancy Award and $50.00 cash prize in which Morton dontated $30.00 so that Palau Chess Federation can pay its first year due to FIDE.

FILIPINO CHESS buff Roberto Hernandez has a grand plan for the sport in Palau.

Hernandez, Chairman of the Knights And Rooks Chess Club and who's been successfully organizing tournaments for several years now, wanted Palau to become a member of the International Chess Federation (FIDE).

However to make this realized, Palau has to be an observer first before being admitted as bona fide member of the world's governing body in chess.

The next right move is to send a team to represent Palau to the 37th edition of the biennial meet in Torino, Italy in 2006.

Through his extensive experience and close association with some insiders of FIDE, Hernandez could help Palau make its debut in the actual competition where would be Palau players have the chance to face the world's best.

Recently, Hernandez has started forging a link with two Palauans whom he considered as best to be in the forefront of pushing this grand vision that will pave the way for the growth and popularity of chess among the Palauan youth.

Hernandez said talks have been going on among Tutii Joe Chilton and Morton Sawaichi and him and they have so far agreed in principle about this awesome goal.

"We have already talked about how we can make the Palauans to join us in this plan. It's just a matter of time, how we start it," thus said Hernandez, who has many shared moments while still playing against Asia's first Grandmaster Eugene Torre.

In a letter to Chilton and Sawaichi, Hernandez noted that the host country usually gives 50 percent discount on airfare and there is an Italian friend, Andrea Buriani, who is willing to assist during the event.

Buriani, an Italian tourist here who won the one-day blitz chess tournament last August, has personally sent email messages asking if Palau can send its own team in the 2006 event.

If Palau is finally accepted as FIDE member, the Palau Chess Federation will be created after which national tournaments will be held and the top six players will eventually form the nucleus of Palau team in 2008.

Two years will be enough to save money for accomodation for the three-week event, Hernandez said, as he vowed to do everything to support Palau put into the chess map.

He suggested that blitz chess festival be held twice a month and the half of the prize will be coming from fundraising and maybe from some sponsors.

He said this is also an opportunity to promote Palau and who knows the country may even have the opportunity to bid to host the prestigious tournament.

The last Chess Olympiad was held in Mallorca, Spain where 126 countries participated in the men's division and 84 in the women's side.

Hernandez is not about to blink. He's planning to write to President Remengesau for support.

Source: Palau Horizon January 4-6, 2005 issue
With report from Nazario Rodriguez, Jr.
Horizon News Staff

(7) BONG ALIPOON--"Mr. Consistent" (TBN-May 23-30, 2003)

NO BETTER THAN 5TH PLACE
    Bong Alipoon, left, receives his trophy of another 5th place finish in Palau chess tournament from Roberto Hernandez, the Chairman of Knights and Rooks Chess Club (Palau).   (Photo by Roberto Hernandez -- Taken by Tutii Joe Chilton)


Bong is the only player who dealt eventual champion Eddie Grefiel the latter's only loss in the 2002 All-Filipino chess tilt. He finished 5th in that tourney and won a trophy for Senior Best Scorer.

At the 2002 Open Chess tournament, he again defeated Grefiel and finished 5th again with 20 wins, 6 losses and one draw. He received another trophy and $10.00 cash prize.

And at recently concluded 2003 Open chess tilt, he tied for 5th again after beating Grefiel for the 3rd time.

He is really a consistent player and he never sits while playing. He is 44 years old and the 4th seed in the upcoming Age Group chess tilt.

This week's featured opening is the Modern Benoni Defence: 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 c5 3. d5 e6 4. Nc3 exd5 5. exd5 d6 6. e4 g6 7. Bf4 Be7

Solution to last week's puzzle: 1. Nf5+ Kd2 2. Rd1+ Kc2 3. Ne3 mate.

When solving chess puzzles, try not to touch the pieces. Solve it like you're playing a tournament game. That will help you improve your play.

Source: Chess Mate by Roberto Hernandez
               Tia Belau Newspaper
               Page 13 
               Volume 12 
               May 23-30, 2003