October 16- 22, 2004
THE AWARDING ceremony of the 2004 Open Chess tournament was held Sunday, October 10 at Filco Thrift Mart in Malakal.
Cash prizes to the top three finishers in Class A and certificates were given to the participants and to the host and sponsor Nestor Canaria, who also treated the players to a snack of spaghetti, sandwich and fruit punch prepared by his wife, Lolit.
The six trophies for the winners didn't arrive on time and they will be given on the opening day of 2004 Rapid Chess tournament to start October 24 with at least 19 participants expected to compete.
The new venue for the tournament is the Parish Center for Migrants beside the Sacred Heart Catholic Church and Osiaol.
The format will be 30 minutes for each player to finish the game. The players must play at least 2 games each week in the single round robin.
Current champion Eddie Grefiel and his co-employee Joel Azana must play 4 games because they can play only every other week.
The Sonnenborn-Berger system of tiebreak will be used to break the tie among top five finishers.
There will be no Class A or B division and if there are at least 5 junior players who will participate, there will be a double round robin for juniors (18 years and below).
Ivan II Chess Computer will particpate in both divisions. Registration fee is $10.00 with half of the amount will be going to The Filipino Community in Palau who will sponsor the event.
Margarita Borja Dalton, a Senatorial candidate, will provide the lemon tea drink every Sunday for the players while another Senatorial candidate Carlos 'Hiros' Salii has not yet committed as of press time.
Jimboy de Jesus, the 2nd runner-up in the 2002 Open Chess tournament, is expected to join the competition after being inactive in the last 4 tourneys. He resides just beside the tournament site.
Mario Ramos, Mike Miguel, Jr. and Danny Dandoy, all trophy and cash winners in the 2004 Non-master chess tilt, are participating again after missing the last tournament due to job schedule.
Father and son Norbert and Dmitri Villanueva were also invited. Norbert is a very busy man today and so is Tutii Joe Chilton, the first Palauan trophy winner of the 2003 Open Chess tournament held at Image Restaurant and Sports Bar and hosted by Margarita Borja Dalton.
Before the awarding of certificates and cash prizes last Sunday, players watch the raffle drawing of Shell where a jet ski was the grand prize.
While waiting, most of the players practice speed (blitz) chess at Rip Tide. Only after the grand prize was won did the players proceeded to the awarding ceremony and after the snack, Grefiel and Azana left and the planned 10-minute blitz chess tourney was cancelled.
A few years ago, rapid chess was called active chess and speed chess was called blitz. Internationally, it is now called rapid instead of active and speed instead of blitz but some players still use or prefer the old terms.
The recently concluded 2004 Open chess tournament had a record of six newcomers: Den Canaria, Morton Sawaichi, Edward Agravante, Jerry Sermeno, Dennis Gonzales and Azana.
There were almost 3 months rest after the 2004 Non-master tourney and 2004 Open. And now, it's only 3 weeks before the start of the last tourney of the year.
Solution to last week's puzzle: 1. Qxf7+! Kxf7 2. Bc4+ Qd5 3. Bxd5 mate.
This week's puzzle: White to play and mates in 3
(Solution -- 1. Ne7+ Kh8 2. Rxh7 Kxh7 3. Rh5 or Qh3 mate.
White to play and mates in 2 (Solution next issue)
Source: Chessmate by Roberto Hernandez
Tia Belau Newspaper
Oct. 15-22, 2004
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