16-year-old Michael Velarde, left, and Chris Domingo are in a tight fight for 3rd and 4th runner-up finish going into the last 2 weeks of competition with a mere half point separating them.
(Photo by Roberto Hernandez)
THE 11TH and 12th round of the 2004 Non-Master Chess tournament sparked 2 touch move controversies.
The crucial 11th round match-up between 2 title contenders Menandro Manuel and Cyril Montel, Jr. is now under protest due to Manuel's touch move violation in the middle game.
Manuel accidentally touched his rook and asked the arbiter if he had to move it. The arbiter said that according to tournament rules, touching a piece accidentally or intentionally requires the player to move it.
Montel, Jr. uttered "Go ahead, go ahead." Presuming Montel, Jr.'s remark as approval, Manuel then moved another piece.
In this situation the game is subject to protest especially if the player who breaks the rule won.
A similar case happened when Jimmy Valenzuela moved a piece other than what he touched in a game against Roberto Hernandez in the 10th round of the Senior and Junior Open chess tourney on Nov. 23, 2003.
Hernandez protested when he was about to lose and they agreed to play another game.
Montel, Jr. filed a verbal protest against Manuel, asserting that touching a piece with the tips of four fingers is intentional not accidental. He added that Manuel though for 15 minutes after realizing his mistake prior to calling for an arbiter.
He was dismayed by the former champion's action in the very crucial match. A win by Montel, Jr. will put him in the lead while Manuel needs to win his match against Jess Toldoya to have a chance for his 2nd title.
The other controversy took place late in the afternoon between Toldoya and Montel, Jr. where the former had a king, 2 rooks and 2 pawns while Montel, Jr. had a king, a rook, a bishop and 2 pawns.
On his last move, Montel, Jr. put his rook to e6 square and released it, overlooking his unprotected bishop.
He took the rook again and started to move it to another square when Toldoya protested a touch move violation.
Montel argued that he had not pressed his time clock yet so he can still change his move.
That holds only in a blitz game, but in a tournament with long time control, once a player moves a piece to a square and releases it, it cannot be moved again elsewhere.
Jose Omega recorded their game's position for the arbiter -- who had left the tournament site at 5 pm to play music with Kostang Remeliik in a dinner cruise -- to make a decision.
Mario Ramos called the chairman that he will be absent on March 21 so his default loss to Toldoya was replayed which the latter won. Toldoya also won another default over Nilo de Jesus and is now the solo leader.
OTHER RESULTS WERE ALL DEFAULTS: Valenzuela d. Mariano Agustin, Jr., who is working on Saturday and Sunday for absentee voting assignment; Ramos d. Omega; Danny Dandoy d. Bong Alipoon; Mike Miguel, Jr. d. Amante Caballero and Lin de Guzman d. Agustin, Jr.
Mario Ramos defeated Ivan II Chess Computer in 60 moves of a Four Knights Defence on a special game on Monday, March 29 through a telephone match to stay in contention for 3rd to 5th place.
In the kid's division, Karen Hernandez scored 3 victories to tie the defending champion Charles Aquino at 1st place. She defeated Chris Domingo (2-0) in their best of 3 series, won over Jayrome Soriano and Ricky Camacho by default for a win-loss-draw record of 10-1-1.
Michael Velarde defeated Ivan II Chess Computer in 31 moves of a Four Knights Defence with the black pieces.
OTHER RESULTS: Aquino d. Soriano; Velarde d. Georby Domingo by default and Ivan II and G. Domingo drew by default.
Solution to last week's puzzle: 1. c8=B!!! (Promote the pawn to a bishop to avoid stalemate). There is already a white-colored bishop on the board and you can have as many as 10 bishops if you can promote the 8 pawns) ... Kb8 2. Nc6 mate.
Source:
Chessmate by Roberto Hernandez
Tia Belau Newspaper
August 2-9, 2004
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