(140) 2009 OCEANIA ZONAL CHESS CHAMPIONSHIP (Photos)

L-R  Roberto Hernandez, Sam, Chief Arbiter Charles Zworestine, Bernie Saavedra, Jamie Kenmure.

Tournament Organizer Graeme Gardiner making an opening speech.

Oceania Zone President Gary Bekker's turn for a speech.

Chief Arbiter Charles Zworestine's turn to talk.

First round, Roberto Hernandez (Palau) vs. Eugene Schon (Australia)      0-1

Hilton Bennett (New Zealand) vs. Fernando Aguilar (Solomon Islands)  1-0

Jason Chan vs. 9-year old Daniel Lapitan.

Paul Spiller, right

Joselito Marcos, left,

Vivian Smith (1809) --New Zealand vs. Hilda Vukikomoala (Fiji)

Vaness Reid (1837) Australia vs. Tamsin Oliver (Australia) U/R

FM Gene Nakauchi vs. Harry Hughes

Damian Norris (Fiji) vs. Alexander Sthanke   0-1

Bobby Cheng (2103) vs. Daniel Ford (1792)

CM Manoj Kumar (2017) Fiji vs. IM David Smerdon (2489) Australia

FM Igor BJELOBRK (2332) Australia vs. FM Rupert Jones (1962) Papua New Guinea

FM Tomek Rej (2308) vs. Mike Canfell (1932)

WCM Judy Gao (1907) New Zealand vs. Sarah Anton (1718) Australia

IM Stephen Solomon vs. Li Yuan

Current top Aussie GM Zhong-Yuan Zhao

Alexandra Jule, right

IM Irina Berezina

Tony Weller, right

Mario Krstev (2086) New Zealand vs. Anurag Sannidhanam (1705)

Vaness Reid vs. Tamsin Oliver

Ronald Scott (2261) Australia vs. CM Calvin Prasad (1912) Fiji

IM Guy West (2343) Australia vs. WFM Helen Milligan (1985) New Zealand

Tristan Stevens (2006) vs. IM George Xie (2402)

Damian Norris (2142) Fiji vs. Alexander Sthanke (1795) Australia         0-1

FM Brian Jones (2062) vs. Amir Karibasic (U/R)

Bobby Cheng vs. Daniel Ford

Mike Steadman (2262) New Zealand vs. Matthew Juszczyuski (1914)

Cameron de Vere (Australia) vs. Roberto Hernandez (Palau) 1-0

Daniel Ford vs. Hilton Bennett (2028) New Zealand

Arie Meydan vs. Roberto Hernandez   1-0

Top Board match up -- IM David Smerdon (2489) vs. Stephen Solomon (2455)

Fiji's Gaurav Raicar (1560) vs. Daniel Lapitan (U/R)

Fernando Aguilar, right, refused the draw offer and won.

Daniel Lapitan defeated Gaurav Raicar in just 12 moves, the shortest game of Zonals.

Former Australian top player Ian Rogers was so impressed with Daniel's win that he gave him a 2-hour free chess lessons from him. It's worth AUS$800.00.

Luthien Russell (1769), right

Women's division

Mike Canfell, right

Kevin Tan vs. Alex Sthanke

 Arianne Caoili vs. Irina Berezina

Rupert Jones vs. Joselito Marcos

Fernando Aguilar vs. Anurag

Sanmogam Goundar (1903) Fiji vs. Hilton Bennett (NZ)

 Paul Spiller (2005) New Zealand vs. Gareth Oliver (2187) Australia

IM Paul Garbett (2319) New Zealand vs. FM Gene Nakauchi (2076) Australia

Max Illingworth (2243) vs. FM Endre Ambrus (2315) both of Australia.

Top seed GM Zongh-Yuan Zhao (2583) vs. IM George Xie

IM Guy West vs. IM Mirko Rujevic (2282)

FM Robert Smith (2274) New Zealand vs. FM Brian Jones (Australia)

Hamish Selanes (1921) vs. Bobby Cheng (2103) both Australians.

Leon Kempen (2050) vs. Cameron de Vere (U/R)

Both from Papua New Guinea, Rupert Jones vs. Joselito Marcos (2200)

FM James Morris (2114) vs. IM Gary Lane (2371)

FM Rupert Jones vs. GM (Generous Man) Joselito Marcos, Roberto Hernandez

Matthew vs. Helen

Sebastian Jule (1847) vs. Tony Weller (1987)

CM Manoj Kumar vs. FM Eddy Levi

Benjamin Encel (1838) vs. Caleb Ericksson (U/R)

Malcolm Pyke (2156) vs. Larry Hughes (1554)

Gloria Sukhu (Fiji) vs. Alannah Byrne

Tamzin Oliver vs. Sarah Anton (1718)

Marc Vlietstra (2075) vs. Herman Rachmadi

FM Igor Bjelobrk (2332) vs. IM David Smerdon (2489)

Yi Liu (1938) vs. Amir Karibasic

Garth Oliver vs. Jason Chan (2056)

Moulthun Ly (2340) vs. Mario Krstev (2086)

Vaness Reid, right

Fernando Aguilar vs. Sam Grigg

Harry Hughes vs. Roberto Hernandez

Roberto vs. Anurag     0-1

Oldies but goodies -- Mike Canfell vs. Fernando Aguilar

Roberto Vs. David Cigelj      1-0

9th and final round.