| PALAU'S TOP 6 PLAYERS AND THEIR FIDE RATING, DATE OF BIRTH Four of the top 6 players in Palau will participate in the 2009 Palau National Chess Championship headed by top seed Menandro Manuel, Cyril Montel, Jr., Gene Pastrana and Roberto Hernandez. The other two left Palau for good with Manny Nedic with plans to migrate in the USA and Jose Omega having the day offs he was denied for 9 years. (Photos by Roberto Hernandez) |
IT MIGHT be an exciting National Chess Championship with the inclusion of three Bangladesh nationals to compete in the event to start August 30, Sunday at D. J. Cruz General Merchandise (formerly Jean's Boutique).
Masum Billah, Hasan Mamud and 2nd timer Mohammad Manik Hossain will spearhead the unrated participants who are trying to gain international rankings in this single round-robin FIDE rated competition.
The 2 players Jimboy de Jesus and Andres 'Aying' Mestizo II are having regular practice at the tournament venue in preparation for the event.
The 4 players from Palau Royal Resort are also busy in practicing with Jaime Guevarra getting at par with Ivan II Chess Computer.
He is not rusty anymore and recovered his sharp play through regular practice with the talking and taunting chess machine.
Paquito 'Pax' Suringa, Jr. and Elizalde 'Eli' Madrinan are also preparing physically and mentally.
Roberto Hernandez' preparation is a combination of internet chess, Ivan II, by the book moves and endgame strategies.
Mario Ramos, one of the original members of Knights and Rooks Chess Club (Palau) is also practicing with Mestizo II but haven't formally registered yet due to transportation problem.
He participated in the first 6 tournaments held in Palau since 2002. He won one brilliancy award and a 5th place finish at the 2004 Non-master Chess tourney.
Registration is still open through Gene Pastrana at telephone 488-4640 or Roberto Hernandez at 488-2000 ext. 114.
Players are asked to give their date of birth upon registering as a requirement for an event to be FIDE rated. They have to write their moves also to have a record of their games.
Invitation to play is also extended to Val Vidar of Palau Pacific Resort and the 1st runner-up in the unrated division of the inaugural Ambassador Marino Cup in 2006 and to Elpidio Malaligod.
Newcomer Zaldy Necia hopes that he will be assigned in Koror by Aug. 30. If this is not possible, he can play whoever is available in any day, mostly against Gene, Aying or Jimboy de Jesus.
The election of new officers and members of Palau Chess Federation is also being discussed to coincide in the opening day of 2009 Palau National Chess Championship.
Incumbent chairman Francis 'Sno' Temaungil will be asked to run for re-election or Tutii Joe Chilton might be interested if he's not committed to other positions.
Morton Sawaichi and Flavin Andres are also urged to run for office. Hernandez might be running for Secretary and Pastrana for Treasurer.
Menandro 'Boy' Manuel and Cyril Montel, Jr. might be interested also in any position.
Joselito Marcos, who represented Papua New Guinea in the 2009 Oceania Zonal Chess Championship in Australia, emailed Hernandez about his intention to post to his http://chessconnoiseur.blogspot.com website the results or even games of the 2009 Palau NCC.
He also emailed Hernandez about the achievement of Grandmaster (GM) Darwin Laylo (FIDE rated 2494) in winning the Vietnam Zone 3.3 after beating GM Zhang Zhong (2613) in the last round to finished undefeated and will join fellow GM Wesley So (2646) and Rogelio 'Joey' Antonio to the World Chess Cup.
This is Laylo's second trip to the World Chess Cup. He succumbed to French champion and super GM Etienne Bacrot in the second round last year.
Lito also emailed Hernandez about former Philippine president Cory Aquino entitled "An Icon of Democracy rests in peace" in which Cory Aquino, it would be remembered, officially opened the 1992 Manila Chess Olympiad held at the Philippine International Convention Center.
This biennial Olympiad, already the 30th then, was regarded arguably as the best Chess Olympiad ever.
Five of the chess clocks used in that Olympiad were donated by former FIDE President Florencio Campomanes to Palau Chess Federation during his visit here in Palau on May 11-14, 2006.
Twenty chessboards (without the pieces) were also donated and $600.00 for payment of Palau's 2006 membership fee to FIDE.
Source: Chessmate by Roberto Hernandez
Tia Belau Newspaper
Pages 13 & 15
Volume 18
Issue 33
August 17-23, 2009
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