(1535) AMAZING PIANO MAN (TBN-June 24, 2018)

:   “If somebody requested me a song written on a piece of paper and I don't know yet the song, I will not throw away the paper. I’ll collect it and I will search for those songs at National Bookstore. If I can't find it there, I will go to Raon, Quiapo Manila and I will ask the staff of music store to record those songs for me in cassette tape."

        AMAZING PIANO MAN
                              (By Windsor John Genova)
                     The International Filipino Monthly Magazine
                                         June 2012

THERE MAY be KTV addicts who know how to sing 100 titles. But chances are they don’t know the complete lyrics of that many songs. And if lyrics are hard to memorize, what more remembering the tune and playing it with a musical instrument. Only the likes of virtuoso pianist Roberto Hernandez can play so many songs; close to 2,000 in fact.

              No wonder Hernandez, 56, is the star piano man of Palau, a small island nation in the Pacific Ocean hosting some 5,000 OFWs. No musician in Palau or perhaps in the entire Oceania, comes close to matching his talent for playing the piano. And not all of the 2,000 songs in his repertoire are English or American titles. “My repertoire is international also. I know more than 60 Japanese songs, 45 Palauan songs, 38 Spanish songs, 12 Italian songs, 30 Greek songs, 10 Chinese songs, 300 Filipino songs, 1,200 American songs, French, German, Korean, Chamorro, Hawaiian, Mexican, Israeli, etc,” reveals Hernandez, who plays regularly at Palau Royal Resort hotel. His long list of tunes was the result of passion and dedication to music over the years plus utmost professionalism.

             “If somebody requested me a song written on a piece of paper and I don’t know yet that song, I will not throw away the paper. I will collect it and I will search for those songs at National Bookstore. If I can’t find it there, I’ll go to Raon in Quiapo, Manila and I will ask the staff of music store to record those songs for me in cassette tape,” recalls Hernandez.

              The evolution of Hernandez, who is working in Palau for 20 years now, did not start with a piano. The Hagonoy, Bulacan native first learned to play guitar and marimba. When he worked at The Plaza Restaurant in Makati in the ‘70’s, he enrolled at the Yamaha School of Music. He eventually became the pianist of The Plaza Restaurant in 1980.

              Hernandez went to Japan to play with the First Quarter Band in 1982. He came back as pianist at The Plaza’s Aling Asiang Specialty Restaurant before working in Bahrain as a keyboard player at Khayam Taverna, a Greek Restaurant, from 1987 to 1989. He played piano at Beverly Hills Deli in Greenbelt, Makati before working and settling in Palau in 1992. In Palau, he started as keyboardist for a band before becoming solo pianist for different restaurants and cafeterias until he was hired at Palau Royal Resort in 2007.“I’m also teaching piano, keyboard, guitar to kids and adults,” he adds. Hernandez is the piano instructor of Palau President Johnson Toribiong’s grandson. With his mastery of the instrument, he is also a piano tuner. He once fixed the piano of Palau’s traditional queen for free as a belated Christmas present.

              In 2009, the Philippine Embassy in Koror led by Ambassador Ramoncito Marino honored outstanding OFWs in Palau, including Hernandez, during the celebration of the 111^th anniversary of the Philippine Independence.

The award and certification he received was not only in recognition of his musical talent but for his promotion of chess in Palau. The musical genius is also a chess master with international rating. He is an official of the Palau Chess Federation and a member of Palau national team participating in the 2012 World Chess Olympiad in Istanbul, Turkey happening on August 27 to September 10.

              Hernandez and other Filipinos and locals regularly hold chess competitions in Palau. He even writes a chess and music columns in a Palauan newspaper. Musician, piano teacher and tuner, chess master and journalist-writer. Also a loving husband to Flor, who has also been working in Palau the past 16 years. Indeed, Hernandez is very talented, an amazing Filipino we can be proud of.

UPDATES OF PALAU CHESS FEDERATION’S PARTICIPATION (LOCALLY AND INTERNATIONALLY):

*2013—3 reps of Palau in the Guam International Chess Tournament in Feb.

*2013—2 reps of Palau in the World Youth Chess Championship in Dec. at Al Ain, Abu Dhabi, UAE.

*2014—Micronesian Open (27 attended the Opening) (10-player round-robin)

*2014—Brian Jones Simultaneous Exhibition (vs. 20 Opponents—10 Palauans, 10 Filipinos)

*2014—Eleven reps of Palau in the 2014 World Chess Olympiad in Tromso, Norway (Aug. 01-14)

*2015—4 reps of Palau in the 2015 World Youth Chess Olympiad in Mongolia

*2015—2 reps of Palau in the 2015 DATMO Open in Malaysia

*2016—7 reps of Palau in the 2016 World Chess Olympiad in Baku, Azerbaijan

*2017—2 reps of Palau in the 2017 Oceania Zonal Chess Championship in Auckland, New Zealand

*2018—15 reps of Palau in the 2018 World Chess Olympiad in Batumi, Georgia (Sept. 23-Oct. 7)

*2019---16 reps of Palau in the 2019 Oceania Zonal Chess Championship in Guam.

*2018—The 1^st Surangel Team Tournament (Aug. 5-Sept. 9) is inviting new Palauan chess players, who never played in any Palau tournament, to participate in this 7-team, 6-round event.

                Solution to last week’s puzzle No. 3492: 1. Qb7 Qxb7 2. Rd8#

                This week’s puzzle No. 3839: White to move and mates in 3 (Solution next issue)

Sources: The International Filipino

               Pages 10

               Superstar Section

               June 2012

              Chess Mate by Roberto Hernandez

              Tia Belau Newspaper

              Pages 9-10

              Volume 27

               Issue 52

               June 24, 2018

              Chess and Music (Perfect Combination)
              The Beginning of Chess in Palau
              By Roberto Hernandez
              Soon to be published as a book

              Music and Me by Roberto Hernandez
              Tia Belau Newspaper
              March 15, 2012 -- April 18, 2013
              http://palau-chess.blogspot.com
              April 25, 2013 -- June 24, 2018

              The History of Chess in Palau
              By Roberto Hernandez
              June 09, 2002 -- June 24, 2018

(1429) MUSIC AND ME (July 27, 2017) ARTICLE IN THE INTERNATIONAL FILIPINO -- JULY 2012 EDITION

I was asked by The International Filipino Editor Windsor John Genova to write articles for this once a month magazine about chess and music.

I was featured in "The Amazing Piano Man"http://palau-chess.blogspot.com/2012/06/chess-music-june-21-amazing-piano-man.html, "Pioneering the Game in a Tiny Nation"http://palau-chess.blogspot.com/2012/06/chess-music-june-21-amazing-piano-man.html, "Pinoy  Chessers Thrive in Palau"http://palau-chess.blogspot.com/2012/02/pinoy-chessers-thrive-in-palau.html
 , Mingling with the World's Top Chess Players"http://palau-chess.blogspot.com/2013/03/mingling-with-worlds-top-chess-players.html and my daughter Karen's "Self-reviewer Passes Nurse Board Exam"http://palau-chess.blogspot.com/2017/09/1420-music-and-me-july-06-2017-self.html

   ARTICLE IN THE INTERNATIONAL
      FILIPINO -- JULY 2012 EDITION




This article is one that is witty and hilarious...

Sources: Chess Mate by Roberto Hernandez
              Tia Belau Newspaper
              December 29, 2002 -- September 29, 2017

              Chess and Music (Perfect Combination)
              The Beginning of Chess in Palau
              By Roberto Hernandez
              Soon to be published as a book

              Music and Me by Roberto Hernandez
              Tia Belau Newspaper
              March 15, 2012 -- April 18, 2013
              http://palau-chess.blogspot.com
              April 25, 2013 -- September 29, 2017

             The History of Chess in Palau
             By Roberto Hernandez
             June 09, 2002 -- September 29, 2017

(1420) MUSIC AND ME (July 06, 2017) SELF-REVIEWER PASSES NURSE BOARD EXAM

       SELF-REVIEWER PASSES NURSE
                      BOARD EXAM

By Windsor John Genova (The International Filipino--
                                                    Jan. 2010 Issue)
Hagonoy, Bulacan: Karen Gennibeth M. Hernandez became the pride of Hagonoy town on Jan. 30 when she passed the nursing board examination held on Nov. 29 and 30.

For the 24-year-old daughter of Roberto and Flor Hernandez, both working in Palau, her prudent approach of reviewing for the exam on her own instead of going to a review center paid off and proves that one can pass a board exam even through self-review.

Karen finished high school in Palau and returned to the Philippines to take up pediatrics but the course was not available at the University of Regina Carmeli in Malolos City so took up nursing instead.

She struggled in the Filipino subject, re-adapted in the local environment, transferred to a less expensive school after two years and went on duty in different hospitals to finally graduate last year. The final step was to pass the nursing board exam of the Professional Regulation Commission.

"I wasn't able to go to a review center because I didn't want more worries for my parents since they were facing financial problems at the time", Karen said. "So I just bought lots of books and did some self-studying and prayers. I reviewed for about two to three months, usually at night time or late afternoon because it's more serene."

Karen persevered in reviewing despite the floods of typhoon Ondoy and the passing away of her grandfather.


On exam day, Karen answered a total of 500 questions. The exam was divided into five sets, three of which were taken on Nov. 29 and the rest taken the following day.

At last, the results of the exam came out in January.

"One of my classmates first texted me saying, "The exam results are out. Karen passed." I didn't believe her then, so I checked on the internet while my heart was pounding until I saw my name on the passing list," Karen said. "I was just so happy I couldn't help but cry. Then I knelt down and prayed to thank God. I emailed my parents first and also texted my boyfriend who has always been there to support me."

When asked of her next plan, she said, "As soon as I get my license, I plan to apply and work here in hospitals in Bulacan so that I can start to grow in my profession."

Karen also has plans to work abroad, perhaps in Palau or Australia, in the future. But it will not be all for the money.

She said, "I believe that being a nurse is not just about the money we may earn in the future but the joy of helping others. In this way I know I can grow as a person and use my skills to help even my family, especially my parents when they grow old or need some health assistance." 

Karen also participated in the 2002 All-Filipino Chess Tournament in Palau where she finished the best scorer in the junior division...

Karen playing against the youngest contestant of the 2004 Non-Master Chess Tournament Georby Domingo.


I have taught Karen keyboard/piano before but she is more interested in guitar and played the flute in the Mindzenty High School band/orchestra.

I remember that we promised her a guitar as Christmas presents. We packed the guitar pick into several boxes until it's very bulky present. We are working at Image Restaurant at that time and when she realized that the guitar is not in the box, she looked everywhere -- under the bed, in the cabinet but not in the trunk of our car.

When we come home at 10 pm, she gave up looking for the guitar and I get in from the trunk of the car.





Sources: Chess Mate by Roberto Hernandez
               Tia Belau Newspaper
               December 29, 2002 -- September 10, 2017

               Chess and Music (Perfect Combination)
               The Beginning of Chess in Palau
               By Roberto Hernandez
               Soon to be published as a book

               Music and Me by Roberto Hernandez
               Tia Belau Newspaper
               March 15, 2012 -- April 18, 2013
               http://palau-chess.blogspot.com
               April 25, 2013 -- September 10, 2017

               The History of Chess in Palau
               By Roberto Hernandez
               June 09, 2002 -- September 10, 2017

(1004) PINOY CHESSERS THRIVE IN PALAU (TIF-Dec.16-31,2009) (TBN-Feb. 15-21, 2010)

Participants of the Paquito Suringa Cup Invitational Rapid Chess Tourament shake hands before the start of their match in Oct. 24, 2009 at Dorm 1 of the Palau Royal Resort. From left, they are Miguel Gancayco; Gracie Alenain, the top seed in the women's division; her husband Rey; Randy Sioson; Roberto Hernandez; Joel Gabris; Jaime Guevarra; Ronel Gutierrez and the innovator of the event, Paquito 'Pax' Suringa, Jr.

(Contributed photo by: Roberto Hernandez)




PINOY CHESSERS THRIVE IN PALAU
 

MANILA--Teen Grandmaster Wesley B. So is currently the Philippines' pride in international chess competitions.

The 16-year old prodigy from Bacoor, Cavite demonstrated his chessboard prowess in the ongoing World Chess Cup (WCC) in Khanty-Mansiysk, Russia by ousting higher-ranked and senior GMs Vassily Ivanchuk of Ukraine and Gata Kamsky of the U.S. to become the first ever Filipino to reach the fourth round of the toughest chess tournament before bowing out against Russian Vladimir Malakhov.

So drew with Malakhov twice but lost to the 22nd-seeded GM in the following three rapid chess matches.

So is just one of many Filipinos who keep the Philippines a force to reckon with in a game dominated by Russia.

Interestingly, Filipino chessers are so good that they also represented other countries in international tournaments sanctioned by the world's top chess body, the FIDE.

For example, six Filipinos working in the Republic of Palau are recognized by FIDE as players of that tiny Pacific island country.

They are Menandro Manuel, Cyril Montel, Jose Omega, Gene Pastrana, Roberto Hernandez and Manny Nedic. But more than being among the top chess players in Palau, they started the ball rolling for chess in Palau.

Hernandez and Sergio Alemania, an official of the Filipino community, organized the first chess tournament in the island in 2002.

Hernandez helped establish the first local chess club and federation in the same year. From then on, he took the lead in organizing yearly tournaments, which he describes as the most flexible FIDE rated competition in the world.

The games are held in different volunteered venues and matches are played when the players are available to encourage more participants.

Palau participants to the game are very limited to this day, though other foreign workers in the island are becoming regulars.

Also, a local have yet to join an international competition, though the country had been represented for the first time by a Filipino, Hernandez himself, in the Oceania Zonal Chess Championship in Australia in June. That tournament was the qualifier for the WCC.

Under FIDE rules, a foreigner can represent a country in its tournaments.

"In chess, if you've been a resident of a country for at least 2 years, you can represent that country." Hernandez explains, adding that Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands were also represented by Filipinos in the Australian tournament.

Also, a player need not be good to join the contest. The real challenge is shouldering the cost of participating.

"Every time we have invitation to participate in other country, we ask the Palauans who are financially capable to join even though they don't have yet the capability to win it. You don't need to be in the top 5 to make it. It depends on your financial capability because you'll be shouldering your own airfare," according to Hernandez.

"I was able to represent Palau in Australia because Mr. Gary Bekker shouldered my airfare from Manila-Sydney and Sydney-Gold Coast through travel subsidy," he says referring to the president of the FIDE Oceania Zone.

Hernandez is dedicated in promoting chess in Palau not only to Palauans and Filipinos but also to other foreigners there.

In fact, he keeps all the records of the games since 2002. That includes his annotations of all his matches that he recorded himself while playing.

He also reports the results of matches, including the defense or opening used, in a column of a local weekly Tia Belau News and email the clippings to colleagues in other countries.

His efforts were supported by other Filipinos, who donate cash for the prizes of champion. Lately, the Palau Royal Resort hosted a Paquito Suringa Cup, a tournament named after the sponsoring employee of the hotel.

Australian GM David Smerdon topped the Australian Zonal to make it to the WCC. It was a long shot for Palau to rule the contest.

"I think it's still a long way before Palau can send a player in the World Chess Cup. Maybe in the Chess Olympiad, which we nearly made it in Turin, Italy (2006) and Dresden, Germany (2008)", Hernandez says.

If ever that happens, both Palau and Philippines will get the honor, he says.

Reporter: Windsor John Genova
Source: The International Filipino  
            Volume 1  
            No. 2  
            December 16-31, 2009



         PINOY CHESSERS THRIVE IN PALAU
       (Tia Belau Version -- Vol. 19  Issue 07  Feb. 15-21, 2010)

IN THE Vol. 1 No. 2 December 16-31, 2009 issue of The International Filipino, Palau chess players were featured in the Superstar column written by Windsor John Genova, a former reporter/writer of Tia Belau News. It is written as follows: (above)

The second article "Chess and Music -- Pioneering the game in a tiny nation" by Roberto Hernandez will be published next week.

In the resumption of Edgar Cayanan Cup Rapid Chess tournament at Palau Royal Resort Dormitory 1, Mohammad Manik Hossain continued his domination of lowly-rated PRR players as he swept Ronel Gutierrez and extracted a win over Eli Madrinan.

The Madrinan-Jojo Escapatoria, Jr. match for the consolation round (Class B) of 2009 Palau National Chess Championship was postponed again.

The awarding ceremony of 2009 NCC will be held at PRR Dormitory 1 on Saturday, February 20. Winning and non-winning players are requested to attend for group picture session.

Source: Chess Mate by Roberto Hernandez  
            Tia Belau Newspaper  
            Volume 19  
            Issue  07  
            Feb. 15-21, 2010

(343) SMILE AND SAY CHESS (Oct. 2012 Issue) The International Filipino

FILIPINO-PALAUAN GIRLS
L-R Angie Parrado and her daughters -- 8-year-old Destiny Sisior, 9-year-old Angelil Sisior and the youngest one against Jeffrey Negrillo of Palau Royal Resort before the start of their game in the 2011 Palau National Chess Championship. (Photo by Roberto Hernandez)

Angie Parrado with his girls and Filipino Jeffrey Negrillo.
(Photo by Roberto Hernandez)

PINAY'S DAUGHTERS JOIN
PALAU TOURNEY

MY WIFE, another Filipina mother and her daughters, and a Palauan woman (Paz Ngiratechekii), and Filipina Mary Frances Lopez make up the ladies of the ongoing 2012 Palau National Chess Championship.

Florida Hernandez, Angie Parrado and her 2 girls -- 8-year-old Destiny Sisior and 9-year-old Angelil Sisior--, Mary Frances Lopez and Paz Ngiratechekii, will battle it out among themselves and 17 other rated and unrated men (boys) in the single round-robin of 1650 and below category to get their international rankings.

The category's men are Filipinos Jeff Balbalosa, Luciano Sibayan, Jon Manuel Reyes, Dennis Gonzales, Jaime dela Cruz, Dan Roldan , Elpidio Manaligod, Nilo de Jesus, Freddie Gloria (who replaced my wife Flor), Ferdinand Gutierrez and Manuel Mahor, Jr.

Palauan kids Ksau Anthony Whipps, his cousin Zachary Techall Whipps, Geoff Martin, Lenge Gibbons and Bangladeshi Mohammad Manik Hossain completed the cast of 21 players in the Class B division.

The top 8 chessers of Palau composed another group and they will figure in a double round-robin in the annual tournament running from Oct. 13 - Dec. 02, 2012 at the Palau Royal Resort (PRR).

They are Jose Celiz, Gonzalo Escapatoria, Menandro Manuel, Cyril Tomas Montel, Jr., Paquito Suringa, Jr., Candidate Master Bernardo Garcia, me, and Tito Cabunagan.

Each player have 90 minutes to finish the game with 30 seconds increment that will start from the first move.

Prizes will be offered to 5 winners of each category. The champion in the rated players group will get a free one-night stay at Palau Pacific Resort.

The 1st runner-up will get a free one-night stay at PRR. Other winners will have a brunch at the two hotels.

In the under 1650 category, the champion and 1st runner-up will get a free dinner for two at the 2 hotels.



Source: Smile and Say Chess By Roberto Hernandez
The International Filipino Magazine
Volume 3
Number 7
October 2012 Issue

(304) SMILE AND SAY CHESS (Sept. 2012) Two Filipino Teams in 2012 Chess Olympiad

SMILE AND SAY CHESS
By
Roberto Hernandez


TWO FILIPINO TEAMS IN
2012 CHESS OLYMPIAD

GRANDMASTERS Eugene Torre, Mark Paragua, Wesley So and Oliver Barbosa represented the Philippines in the Istanbul Chess Olympiad held from Aug. 27 - Sept. 10 taking the country to a 21st place finish in the 11-round, 161-nation tournament ruled by Armenia.

But there is another Filipino team albeit representing another country in the tournament.

Yours truly, Bernardo Garcia, Menandro Manuel and Elizabeth Manuel represented the Pacific Island nation of Palau in its first ever participation in a World Chess Olympiad.

Now why did Filipinos, instead of the locals or Palauans, represented the small country in the prestigious biennial chess tournament?

"Walang Palauans sa team kasi ayaw nilang (locals) gumastos for airfare. At wala pang Palauan na may strength sa chess na puwede na sa Olympiad. Wala pa ring Palauan na may international rating." (There is no Palauan in the team because they don't like to spend on their own for airfare. And there are no Palauans with the chess strength that is at par with Olympiad players. There are no Palauans also with international rating.)

Some 5,000 Filipinos work in Palau including myself and my teammates.
When I organized the sports and Palau Chess Federation in the country in 2002, it was mostly Filipinos who played in tournaments.

In 2005, Palau became a member of FIDE or World Chess Federation allowing players to get ratings from the international chess body.

Every FIDE member federation can join the Olympiad as long as they don't have two years arrears in membership fee.

Two years before this Olympiad, I asked those who wants to go in the 2012 Istanbul Olympiad and told them to start saving for airfare because they have to buy their own -- $1,300.00 (Manila-Istanbul roundtrip) and $500.00 - Palau-Manila (round trip).

Two of our players, Tito Cabunagan and Bangladeshi Mohammad Manik Hossain, didn't make it because of Tito's job requirement and Manik's boss allowed him to go only 2 weeks before the start of Olympiad. It's really very late.

Jamie Kenmure is the team captain of Palau chess team in the Turkey Olympiad as well as in the 2010 Russia Olympiad. He is also the Rating Officer of Palau.

All our FIDE-rated tournaments have been rated because of him. He is Australian and listed under Australian Chess Federation so he can't play for Palau; he needs to change federation to be able to play for Palau.

I and Gary Bekker of Australia, an International Arbiter, collaborated in 2006 to have the inaugural 2006 Palau Invitational Chess Championship, where Palau's top six players got their international ranking. I scored 3 points in the invitational to get my FIDE rating of 1830.

For a backgrounder of the Filipinos in Team Palau, I am 56 years old and from Hagonoy, Bulacan. I have been working as a musician at Palau Royal Resort since June 01, 2007. I have been in Palau for more than 20 years (since Feb. 04, 1992).

Garcia is 36 and has been working as I. T. Manager at Palau Pacific Resort for three years.

Manuel has been in Palau since 2003 and was chess champion many times. He is the national champion in 2006 and 2010. A native of Marilao, Bulacan, he works as a geodetic engineer (surveyor) for Socio Micronesia/Surangel's and Sons Company, one of the largest firms in Palau.

Manuel's wife is 59. She is the Division Chief at Philippine Trade and Training Center in Makati City. She's been to Palau thrice that's why she was allowed to play for Palau in lieu of Cabunagan and Hossain. (There are some countries in Africa whose players didn't have ratings).

The 161 participating countries was an Olympiad record. The previous record was 155 in the 2008 Dresden, Germany Olympiad. The 35th seed Philippines placed 21st while Palau, ranked 145th, finished at 154th.

In the first 3 rounds of the Olympiad, Palau was swept by very strong opponents from Qatar, Iraq and Maldives. At Board 2, Mrs. Manuel, a neophyte in chess, was pitted against a GM from Qatar, Mohammed Al-Sayed (2517) and was beaten badly in just 13 moves. She also committed an illegal move in her first ever chess tournament participated in.

In Board 1, I (FIDE rating 1875) bowed to GM Mohamad Al-Modiahki (2542), who beat Ukrainian Vassily Ivanchuk, the gold medalist in the 2010 Olympiad in Russia, in the 2nd round.

Garcia (1663) and Mr. Manuel (1922) suffered the same fate to International Master (IM) Nezad Hussein Aziz and FIDE Master (FM) Ghanem Al-Sulaiti, respectively.

Against Iraq in the 2nd round, I held my ground against FM Abdulsattar Abdul Ahmed (2314) until the middle game when I missed an exchange sacrifice.

As usual, Mrs. Manuel lost again in less than 20 moves against FM Ali Layth Ahmed (2360). Garcia missed some winning lines against IM Hussein Al-Ali (2329) while Mr. Manuel couldn't sustain his attack against CM Ismael Namir (2189).

Palau suffered its 3rd sweep to the lowly-rated Maldives. Some inaccurate moves exposed my king and I lost to Mohamed Hassan (1790). Mrs. Manuel was mated early by Ahmed Fuad (1830). Garcia lost in a French Defence to Ibrahim Abdulla (1851) and Mr. Manuel lost to the highest rated Maldives player Ali Abdul Rahman (1912).

In the 4th round, Garcia avoided another sweep to Palau by drawing his game against Hong Kong's Board 3 player.

In the 5th round, Palau scored its first match win by nipping U. S. Virgin Islands 2.5-1.5 with a draw from Hernandez and wins from Garcia and Mr. Manuel at Board 4.

Palau lost to Bermuda 1.5-2.5 but Garcia won his 2nd straight and Mr. Manuel drew his winning due to health reason on the 30th move, the minimum number of moves before a player can offer a draw.

In the 7th round, although Palau lost again this time to Macau by a 1-3 margin, Garcia scored his 3rd straight for a total of 3.5 points in his first 7 games to earn a Candidate Master (CM) title.

Garcia didn't know yet that he got a CM title before Palau's 8th round match up with Rwanda which ended in a 2-2 tie. He was informed by team captain Kenmure and it somehow affected his game and snapped his 3-game winning streak.

Despite the loss, his bigger achievement of getting a FIDE Master title accomplished Palau's objective of getting the first FIDE title in its Olympiad debut.

Before this Olympiad, Palau don't have a titled player yet. That's why it's an achievement already that Garcia got a CM title in our first Olympiad. In 2010 World Chess Olympiad in Khanty-Mansiysk, Russia, me and Tito were not allowed to play because of a 3-player minimum requirement.

In the 8th round, I've got my first whole point with a win over Rwanda's Theotime Rutaremara. Mr. Manuel also won to get 2.5 points but he had a little chance to get a CM title, which required a player to score 5.5 points in 11 games.

A total of 75 players obtained CM, FM, International Master (IM) titles during the Olympiad before the start of the final round on Sept. 9.

My performance was 3-7-1 (win-loss-draw). Mrs. Manuel 0-11-0, Garcia 4-6-1 and Mr. Manuel at 4-6-1 likewise.

Garcia lost his first 3 games, drew the 4th, won the 5th, 6th and 7th game for a total of 3.5 points in 7 games or 50% performance that got him the CM title, the very first titled player of Palau.


We played all 11 rounds because we don't have a reserve player. Under Olympiad rules, each team must have 4 players and one reserve. If a reserve player is a woman, she can play in the Open division. But if the reserve player is male, he cannot play in the women's section.

Palau men's chess team who will see action in the next World Chess Olympiad in Tromso, Norway are Manuel, Cabunagan, Hossain, Garcia, Jeff Balbalosa, Paquito Suringa, Jr. and me as reserve, so I can attend the trainers/arbiters seminar to become a trainer/arbiter someday.

The partly complete women's team are composed of Angie Parrado, my wife Flor, Paz Ngiratechekii -- a 65-year old retired Filipina and Elizabeth Manuel. The slot for reserve player is still available after Adele Anzawa informed Hernandez that she cannot commit to 2014 Olympiad.

There are actually more that two Filipino teams in the Olympiad. Macau has 3 players who are Filipinos. In the 2010 Olympiad, Macau had 4 Filipino players.

In the 2010 Olympiad, other teams that have Filipino players are Hong Kong with 1; Papua New Guinea, whose top player was Joselito Marcos with Australians as his teammates.

And Fiji, which had Rey Bancod, a Filipino, at Board 1. The President of Fiji Chess Federation now is a Filipino, Dr. Virgilio de Asa, whom I met personally at last in Istanbul.


Source: The Superstar Section
The International Filipino
Smile and Say Chess by Roberto Hernandez
Page 7
Issue of September 2012

(275) MILE AND SAY CHESS (Outstanding OFW)

                               SMILE AND SAY CHESS
                                                                          By Roberto Hernandez
(                                                           The International Filipino - August 2012)


       OUTSTANDING OFW IN PALAU

THIS IS the latest! Amante C. Caballero, one of the best Filipino chess players in Palau, was chosen as one of the outstanding OFWs in Palau.

Philippine Ambassador to Palau Ramoncito Marino gave Caballero the certificate Outstanding Overseas Filipino Worker Award during a simple ceremony at the Sea Passion Hotel on July 29.

Caballero works as a driver and golf and archery instructor at the Papago International Resort. He qualified as an awardee in the second edition of the OFW award given by the Philippine Embassy because of his long service in Palau.

"I came to Palau in December 28, 1993. Since then, I haven't had a vacation yet," said Caballero. "My former job was bus driver of Airai View Hotel.
I served the public when the old KB bridge collapsed in September 1996. From airport to KB bridge almost 24 hours I've been driving using the Airai View Hotel's bus."

The Filipino Community in Palau hosted a farewell party for the embassy at Sea Passion Hotel on July 29, 2 days before the embassy officially closes as part of the Department of Foreign Affairs' cost cutting program.

Palau will have an Honorary Consul to be appointed for Filipino community in the island. Other countries who have honorary consuls in Palau are France, Spain, Israel, Germany and Italy.

*****
After a very hectic week of chess at the 3rd Palau Invitational International Chess Championship held at Palau Royal Resort's Conference Room from Dec. 14-19, 2011, the invited player Joselito Marcos, his wife Margarita and last-born daughter Jamie-Kirstie asked me what is the best way to unwind after a grueling week of competitive chess.

I suggested first to visit the Palau International Coral Reef Center in the morning of Dec. 20 and then play golf in the afternoon. After 2 hours at PICRC,
lunch, work at Purchasing Office and during break time, we proceed to Papago International Resort for golf and archery lessons from Amante Caballero, the best golf instructor of Palau.

Amante noticed the potential of Jamie to be the next Tigress Woods with her sweet swing and grace.

It's so frustrating that one and a half hours of golf and archery is not enough as I had to work.

The Rock Islands trip with the Marcos family happened on Dec. 22. It's a very wonderful experience for the Marcos family. As Roberto said, "a trip to Palau
without a Rock Island trip is incomplete."

Lito's family visited the Capitol, a smaller version of White House in Washington, during the last 7 hours of their stay in Palau.

Lito has nothing more to say to me except "Thank you very much, my best friend and see you in Istanbul."


Source: Smile and Say Chess
               by Roberto Hernandez
               Superstar Corner
              The International Filipino
               Volume 3
               Number 5
               August 2012
               ISSN 2094-3830