(199) RAMOS, THE 'KNIGHT' OF PALAU CHESS

BANANAS IN BETWEEN GAMES
Most of the time, Knights and Rooks Chess Club Chairman Roberto Hernandez brings in some snacks for participants like bananas. Eric Espartero, right, ignores it as he is busy in a winning endgame match against Joel Azana that started his 3-game winning streak. Current leader Cyril Montel, Jr. is playing a friendly game of blitz chess against Lin de Guzman while Gene Pastrana observes from the sideline.
                                                                         (Photo by Roberto Hernandez)

RAMOS, THE 'KNIGHT'
OF PALAU CHESS

HE RESIDES at the far end of Ngchesar State and takes care of the horses of his employer, Polycarp Basilius and still manage to squeeze in a schedule to particiapate in many chess tournaments in Palau during his free time.

He's got a little over an hour last Sunday, August 21 and played one game against top seed Roberto Hernandez, who was then the only available player that he hasn't played with yet as he had already played with other players like Jose Omega, Manuel Nedic, Jimmy Valenzuela and Gene Pastrana.

In their Modern Defence game, Hernandez sacrificed a pawn and a bishop on the 17 move to obtain a kingside attack.

Ramos found all the right defence against the mate threat and countered with his own queen and knight attack.

Hernandez could have drawn the game by 3-move repetition but he needed a full point to bolster his chance to finish at least 4th runner-up.

Then on the 28th move, Ramos made a suicidal Rg1 move that covers the escapte route for his king and facing a mate in 2 moves at the expense of his queen and bishop, he resigned and immediately left the tournament site to take care of the horses.

With the win, Hernandez dislodged idle Joel Azana at 4th place with a 5-4-1 win-loss- draw record. Omega and Cyril Montel, Jr. tote an identical 6-1-0 card and share the lead with Nedic (6-2-0).

The adjourned game of Omega and Dennis Gonzales did not resume as Gonzales was busy with the opening of basketball tournament. Omega offered the draw to Gonzales through the phone.

Gonzales said he will think about it but never made a call to Omega until Sunday in the 12th round of the 2005 Open Chess tournament sponsored by Bendix N. Lakobong, Leo Lacambra, Jr. and Roswell Macapagal of T-shirt Printing Atbp.

It was only 3:00 pm and there were already 5 players waiting for their opponents which most of them already played against each other.

Someone suggested to organize another blitz chess tourney with Omega participating for the first time. He had only an hour to spare before going to work.

So a 5-player blitz tilt participated by Omega, Valenzuela, Nedic, Hernandez and Pastrana was held.

Valenzuela won his first 3 games against Hernandez, Nedic and Pastrana and virtually clinch the title before losing his last game against Omega in the single round-robin of speed chess.

FINAL RESULTS: 1. Valenzuela 3-1-0 2. Omega 2-1-1 3. Hernandez (YES, HE'S 3RD PLACE AGAIN FOR THE 4TH TIME IN A ROW) 2-2-0 4. Nedic 1-2-1 5. Pastrana 0-2-2.

The oldest player in the latest ratings of International Chess Federation (FIDE) who was listed in the top 100 is Viktor Korchnoi of Switzerland, who is tied at 100th with Alexander Goldin of USA with an ELO rating of 2615.

Korchnoi was born on March 23, 1931. The second oldest is Dr. Robert Huebner of Germany (2636) who is the number 65th in the world and was born on November 6, 1948.

Former world champion Anatoly Karpov of Russia is the 33rd. He was born on May 23, 1951 and with the current rating of 2672.


Source: Chessmate by Roberto Hernandez
            Tia Belau Newspaper
            Volume 14 Issue 34
           August 26-September 02, 2005