National Master Menandro Manuel, right, has been Palau's top chess player in the last 2 years. Beside him is his fellow NM Manny Nedic, who became Palau's first National Master when they capture the 2006 National Chess Championship. Tony Villa, 3rd from right, is now the top contender to dislodge the two NMs and now ruling blitz chess where he excels. His nemesis, and another blitz chess specialist, Edwin Eti is playing against no. 3 Cyril Montel, Jr. Venue host Gene Pastrana is currently no. 8. Completing the top 10 are no. 2 Jose Omega, no. 4 Roberto Hernandez, no. 9 Dennis Gonzales and no. 10 Joel Azana. (Contributed photo for Island Times by Roberto Hernandez)
FUN IN BLITZ CHESS
IN JANUARY 2004, the Knights and Rooks Chess Club organized the first blitz chess tourney in the middle of 2004 Non-master chess tournament held at Tri-M General Merchandise in Malakal.
The organizers make their own rules in their blitz chess tilt. The touch move rule does not apply. The event is like anything goes as long as you haven't press your time clock yet.
The eventual champion of the non-master tourney, Jess Toldoya, suffered the most brutal loss by moving his dark-colored bishop to a white square that cost him the game where it should have been replayed to where the violation was made.
The blitz tournament was won by Roberto Hernandez. Palau's top player Menandro Manuel of Surangel, finished in second place and Toldoya didn't participate again in blitz contest except when former World Chess Federation (FIDE) President Florencio Campomanes visited Palau in May 11-14, 2006.
The 80-year old Honorary President of FIDE won the 8-player blitz chess tourney held on the eve of his departure with only a draw allowed, against Palau's first National Master Manny Nedic.
In that tournament, local players were told that touch move rules also apply in blitz chess competition.
Italian tourist Andrea Buriani won a one-day blitz chess tourney in August 01, 2004 where he dominated all the local players with a perfect record.
In a blitz chess tilt held at Jean's Boutique and Store, Hernandez is playing the black pieces against Manuel in the endgame struggle and the latter promoted his pawn to a queen and put on the board the black queen instead of his white queen.
With humor and technicality in his mind, Hernandez move the black queen, which cause Manuel to panic and change it with his white queen where technically he is the one who put the black queen on the board.
Hernandez lost that game and just 2 weeks ago, the same situation happened to him against Manny Nedic where he moved a captured bishop that Nedic accidentally put on the board instead of putting it beside the chessboard.
Hernandez also lost that game but won the tourney over the favored blitz specialist Tony Villa.
Anything happens during a blitz game so some players still carry on despite the big disadvantages like the game between venue host Gene Pastrana and Manuel where the latter had an overwhelming advantage of King, Queen and a knight against Pastana's lone king. Overconfidence cost Manuel half a point as Pastrana was stalemated and was able to draw.
That draw cost Manuel the title and small cash as he was unable to catch up with Villa in the end.
In the same tourney, Cyril Montel, Jr. had the same advantages over Hernandez but it's a bishop instead of a knight. In his last move, Hernandez, in extreme time pressure, moved his king on a square where it can be captured by Montel, Jr.'s bishop and press his clock.
Montel, Jr. captured Hernandez' king to end the game but after analyzing the position, Hernandez reiterated that the game ended in a draw before his last move as it is a stalemate position.
A lot more fun and excitements have happened and will happen again during a blitz chess competition. Some classical Grandmasters and afficionados of the game said that participating in blitz tournaments will lessen a player's patience in the game. But today's world championship's format include a 3-game sudden-death playoff games format of rapid and blitz chess.
WHATEVER THEY SAY, RAPID AND BLITZ CHESS ADD SPICE TO THE GAME.
Source: Chessmate by Roberto Hernandez
Tia Belau Newspaper
May 25-31, 2007
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