(1546) CHESS AND MUSIC--Pioneering The Game in a Tiny Nation (TBN-July 16, 2018)

ALL IN THE FAMILY

          The chess playing Hernandez family (L-R) Roberto, who won 15 titles in Palau including blitz, rapid and standard, daughter Karen, who participated in 2002 All-Filipino Chess Tournament—Top Junior Best Scorer and 2004 Non-Master Chess Tournament—1^st Runner-up in the Junior Division; and wife Flor, the Women’s Division Champion of 2006 Ambassador Marino Rapid Chess Tournament.

                                              (Photo by Roberto Hernandez)

CHESS AND MUSIC --Pioneering the game in a tiny nation

               (Interview by Windsor John Genova-The International Filipino Magazine (Dec. 2009)

                  Koror, Palau – “On Feb. 04, 1992, I started to work in Palau as a keyboard player of Tropical Depression Band. Unfortunately, the band lasted only six months and I became the musician and Disc Jockey (DJ) of Image Restaurant for 13 years. For 11 months, I was the keyboard player of Rose Garden Resort and 11 months also as pianist at Dragon Tei and its 2 other Japanese restaurants. I am now the musician of Palau Royal Resort since June 01, 2007. I will be 54 years old on Jan. 02, 2010.

            I started playing chess in the early '70's and I was taught by a 7-year old boy (Rene Crisostomo), who always put out his queen early in every game. When I got better, I played and practiced with his uncle, the founder of Hagonoy Chess Club in Bulacan. In 1990, I participated in the Philippine National Chess Championship and was seeded 218th with a rating of 1800. The top six finishers of that event represented the Philippines in the biannual World Chess Olympiad.

            I was the champion of the Palau 2003 Senior and Junior Chess tournament and co-champion of the inaugural 2006 Ambassador Marino Cup. I scored 3 points in the 2006 Palau Invitational Chess Championship to get my international FIDE (World Chess Federation) rating of 1830. The first ever chess tournament in Palau was organized by me and The Filipino Community in Palau Vice President Sergio Alemania. It was held on June 09, 2002 with 20 players participating (4 of them are women). It inspired me to see how many good players Palau has and still continue to do it for the love of the game.

            I was elected chairman of the Knights and Rooks Chess Club (Palau) on Sept. 15, 2002 and Secretary/Treasurer of Palau Chess Federation. I have all the records of all my games in all tournaments held in Palau and some records of other players who annotate their games. In the 2005-2006 Rapid Chess tourney, I was the only one who wrote my games score despite the 30 minutes time control.

            In the recently concluded Paquito Suringa Cup at the Palau Royal Resort, I also wrote my moves.The Palau Chess Federation has been a member of FIDE since 2005. We can participate in FIDE sanctioned tourneys and get ratings of local players if our tournament is FIDE rated like the ongoing 2009 Palau National Chess Championship.

          The main problem in organizing this kind of tourney is the players' job schedule. That's why I applied the most flexible chess game schedule in the world. Players can play any day that they are available either at the tournament site or at PRR. The first one of the most memorable chess experience was in the late '70's or early '80's when I played a friendly game against Asia's first Grand master (GM) Eugene Torre at Alemar's Bookstore in Makati. He is promoting his book 'Beyond the 13th Move" but I bought that book a week before. I took another book on the shelves "Asian Zonal '72 Champion: Torre" and asked him to sign it. During our game, I won a whole rook but forgot the safety of my own king and Eugene really showed how good he is.

           The most memorable of my chess career was when I represented Palau to the Oceania Zonal Chess Championship in Australia. I socialized with 4 GMs, more than a dozen International Masters (IM), FIDE Masters, Candidate Masters and other players from Australia, New Zealand, Fiji, Papua New Guinea and Solomon Islands. I experienced first-hand how these masters played and discovered young and promising players of all ages. It truly improves my approach to the game of kings.

         My third most memorable experience is my game with Juice Juice at chess.com where I was about to resign if he found the mate in two moves. He didn't! I still hanged on even with only 2 pawns against his rook and a pawn. When he resigned, that game became my best win among my more than 100 games. His rating is 2200. My mission is to continue promoting chess in Palau especially to the kids as they are the future of this game. And maybe Palau can have its own FIDE Master, IM or even GM in the future. I want also to participate in the World Chess Olympiad. We came close to competing in 2006 in Turin, Italy and 2008 in Dresden, Germany but failed due to financial constraints. We'll try again in 2010 in Khanty-Mansiysk, Russia.”

                The 13 players that I have registered for the 2018 WCO in Batumi, Georgia had been accepted by the organizers. We are advised to arrange our travel as early as possible to save cost on airfare where the Turkish Airlines is the official airline of the Olympiad.

                Solution to last week’s puzzle No. 3841: 1. Qxg7+!! Kxg7 2. Bh6+! Kxf6 3. g5#

                This week’s puzzle No. 3842: White to move and mates in 3 (Solution next issue)



Sources: Chess Mate by Roberto Hernandez
               Tia Belau Newspaper
               Pages 9-10
               Volume 27
               Issue 56
               July 16, 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 -- July 17, 2018

              The History of Chess in Palau
              By Roberto Hernandez
              June 09, 2002 -- July 17, 2018

             The International Filipino
             Volume 1
             No. 2
             December 16-31, 2009

(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

(473) MUSIC AND ME (May 16, 2013) Maricar Genova --GREENER PASTURE

GREENER PASTURE
Maricar Genova left Palau for good last month seeking greener pasture to Canada. She is the Supervisor of Waves Restaurant of Palau Royal Resort. (Photos by Roberto Hernandez)



When Roberto Hernandez started playing piano at Palau Royal Resort in June 01, 2007, he didn't know that Maricar Genova is just a few days ahead of him working at PRR.

He just learned about it when these photos were taken as a souvenir for working together in more than 6 years.

Maricar will try her luck in Canada, where some workers of PRR have found better paying jobs there like Edgar dela Rosa and Felix Lapitan, the Gardening Supervisor who is also a member of Palau Chess Federation.

Lapitan participated in the 2005-2006 Rapid Chess tournament where he led the 28 other players in the first 7 rounds of the double round-robin event.

Former PRR Food & Beverage Manager Allan Tuppil also seeked greener pasture -- in Vietnam this time. He became the GM of Bhaya Cruise.

An interesting chain of event happen when he took a 2-month vacation and helped Edgar Cayanan, who replaced his position at PRR, to replace him again this time in Vietnam.

When Edgar arrived there, Allan found another greener pasture but still in Vietnam-- as GM of a smaller hotel.

When "Pinoy Chessers Thrive in Palau" was published in "The International Filipino" monthly magazine, a separate story of Allan Tuppil's venture in Vietnam was also featured in the same magazine.

Hernandez became a monthly contributor in The International Filipino, being headed by Windsor John Genova (not related to Maricar), who has been a reporter of Tia Belau Newspaper in 2004.

A few months ago, Edgar Cayanan asked Hernandez to look for musicians in Philippines -- a keyboard player and 2 lady singers, to play in Bhaya Cruise for one year.

Hernandez found only a guitarist and 2 lady singers which Edgar found too late and maybe got what he needs when he personally go to Philippines to audition them.

Edgar can play bass and accoustic guitar, drums, piano and knows a lot of international songs. His favorite songs that he used to request to Hernandez are "That's What Friends Are For" by Dionne Warwick and Friends; "Ebony And Ivory" by Paul McCartney and Stevie Wonder; "Hotel California" by Eagles in which one time he plays the accompaniment on the piano and Hernandez played the adlib to the amazement of a security personnel, who can't believe that a person can have so much talents.

Edgar is one of Hernandez' choice of his dream to form a senior band that all members can play at least 4 different musical instruments. For every song that they will play, they will change the instruments that they are playing with the quality of their music not affected.

AND EVERY MEMBER CAN SING -- 1ST, 2ND AND 3RD VOICES FOR HARMONY! That's showcasing talents!



Source: Chess and Music -- Perfect Combination
(The Beginning Of Chess In Palau)
History of Chess In Palau
(To be published as a book in the future)

(245) SMILE AND SAY CHESS

ROBERTO Hernandez is also writing about chess in The International Filipino, a once a month magazine, entitled "Smile and say Chess".

This is the first issue:

Roberto Hernandez is currently the Chairman of Knights and Rooks Chess Club (Palau) that was founded in September 15, 2002.

He pioneered chess tournaments in Palau in 2002 while working as a pianist/DJ.

He also writes a chess and music column at Tia Belau, Palau first newspaper.

The 2002 All-Filipino Chess tournament in Palau on June 09, 2002 was the first of its kind and and became annual leading to the attainment of national chess rating for local and Filipino players in the Pacific island nation in the succeeding years.

Now, 28 Palau chess players are listed at www.fide.com and 21 of them have international rating from as low as 1250 to as high as 1863, 1875, 1922 and 1943, which are among the top in other Oceania countries.

* * *

To be in Turkish Olympic Chess Team, the first qualification to be accepted in the men team is --YOU MUST BE BELOW 30 YEARS!

In Turkey, there are lots of youngsters who are very good in chess that's why they are getting the younger players to play in Olympiad, European Championship, etc.

So, to qualify for a Turkish team, you must be below 30 years old.

What about the qualification in the Philippine men team?

According to GM Eugene Torre, as long as you still have an erection, you can still qualified to Philippine men team!

He said even though he's more than 60 years old, he can still play for Philippine team because he's still got an erection!


* * *

By the way, there will be a 2nd Outstanding OFW at the Philippine Embassy (Koror) in July before they closed down.

The Embassy received a lot of complaints because there are still a lot of outstanding OFWs that were not included in the first awarding.

Maybe Amante Caballero will be one to be selected.

Amante has been in Palau for 19 years and hasn't been on vacation for 19 years also.

He worked as bus driver for tourists from the Palau airport to the KB bridge when it fell and paralyzed Palau for a few days. He drove the tourists for free to help Palau recover from the disaster.


Source: The International Filipino Magazine
           July 2012 Issue
           Page 9
           Superstar Column