(267) HALF POINT SLIPS AWAY

CHESS AND MUSIC PART 3
THE PAST --Chess and Music: Perfect Combination by Roberto Hernandez
THE PRESENT -- Chess and Music Part 2 --Mohammad Manik Hossain and Paquito 'Pax' Suringa, Jr. have combined chess and music which produced good results.
THE FUTURE -- Chess and Music Part 3 -- Ethan Nate Meyar, grandson of Palau President Johnson Toribiong, combining piano, guitar and chess-- the result will be worth watching.
(Photo by Roberto Hernandez)




             HALF POINT SLIPS AWAY

BERNARD GARCIA, I. T. Manager at Palau Pacific Resort, played his first game of 2011 Palau National Chess Championship against Mohammad Manik Hossain on Saturday, July 30 at Palau Royal Resort Dormitory 1 at 1:00 pm.

It was a good game with Manik ahead in the exchange (a rook for a knight) but Garcia got 2 exra pawns in return and his king is more secure than the exposed king of Manik.

Garcia offered a draw after a 2-move repetition. He informed Manik that if he will make the 3rd repetition of moves, their game will be automatically drawn.

Manik deviated from the 3rd move repetition draw and said to Garcia, " I will beat you" but lost instead in a marathon 73-move of Sicilian Defence.

Top seed Cyril Tomas Montel, Jr. came just a few minutes after Manik had resigned.The next game is supposed to be Paquito 'Pax' Suringa, Jr. vs. Garcia but Pax suggested to have Garcia play vs. Cyril and he will play against Angie Parrado who is on her way to the tournament site.

Bernard borrowed all the original score sheets of all games of the current tourney to study the games of the players especially the rated ones.

His game vs. Cyril didn't happen as he left without saying anything.

Last Sunday, July 24, Roberto Hernandez played an official game against venue host Gene Pastrana, who is still very rusty for being inactive for more than a year. He lost in just 24 moves of Caro-Khan Defence.

Ferdinand Gutierrez, who replaced Jenalyn Ortiz, played his first 3 games and lost all to Jeff Balbalosa, Jeffrey Negrillo and Pax.

He missed 2 strong moves against Negrillo and suffered a humiliating defeat that usually occurs to neophyte players.

Manik came to PRR on Wed. July 27, for a match with Edwin Acuyan but a sudden change of schedule prevented Edwin to play his first game.

Manik played one official game instead against Negrillo and scored his 2nd win. Negrillo is behind by a mere pawn in a difficult rook and pawns endgame.

He blundered away his pawn and rook and resigned immediately after realizing his mistake.

Pax overlooked a faster win over Angie Parrado on the 31st move but still managed to squeeze a whole point after an extra 19 moves of their Giocco Piano clash.

Pax is now at 4th place with a 4-2-1 win-loss-draw record. Menandro 'Boy' Manuel is on a 3-week vacation and still leading the field with 7-1-1 slate followed by Tito Cabunagan (5-1-1), Cyril (4-0-2), Pax, and followed by the surprising trio of Balbalosa at 4-6-0 card, Jose Celiz at 3-1-1 and Rudel Roxas (3-3-1).

Hernandez is at 50% after that win over Pastrana at 3-3-0.


Source: Chessmate by Roberto Hernandez
             Tia Belau Newspaper
             Pages 12 & 15
             Volume 20
             Issue 31
             August 01, 2011