Palau players (R-L) Roberto Hernandez, Elizabeth Manuel, CM Bernardo Garcia, Menandro Manuel and team captain Jamie Kenmure (standing) against the 2-player team Burundi pose for a souvenir photo before the start of their penultimate round at 2012 World Chess Olympiad. In the final round against San Marino, Hernandez scored the only win at Board 1 to avert a shutout. (Photo by Roberto Hernandez)
REST IN PEACE
IN THE 2012 World Chess Olympiad in Istanbul, Turkey, Palau finally sent a complete chess team in the Open division. It’s composed of Roberto Hernandez at Board 1, chess neophyte Elizabeth Manuel (2), Bernardo Garcia (3) and Menandro Manuel, the husband of Elizabeth at Board 4.
The team captain is still Jamie Kenmure of Australia, who also captained the incomplete Palau team to Khanty-Mansiysk, Russia—Tito Cabunagan and Hernandez. Garcia, Cyril Tomas Montel, Jr. and Gene Pastrana didn’t make it.
And the Delegate is Jan Berglund, who is Palau’s Delegate to 3 consecutive Olympiads–2008 Dresden, Germany, 2010 Khanty-Mansiysk, Russia and 2012 Istanbul, Turkey.
Elizabeth is supposed to be the Head of Delegation, Tito at Board 2 and Mohammad Manik Hossain as the reserve. But an unfortunate and ill-timed arrival of JICA Volunteers prevented Tito to be with the team as their one-month stay in Palau coincided with the Olympiad date.
In Manik’s case, he was allowed to go by his employer Uchel Tmechtul only 2 weeks before the members depart to Manila for their trip to Istanbul.
Palau was swept in the first 3 rounds by Qatar, Iraq and Maldives respectively. Garcia scored 3.5 points in the next 4 rounds to become Palau’s first FIDE titled player –a Candidate Master title.
In the penultimate round, Palau is fitted against African country Burundi, who has only 2 players that made it but was allowed to play. In 2010 Olympiad in Russia, Tito and Roberto were not allowed to play because there are only 2 of them.
A new policy that started in 2008 Olympiad in Dresden, Germany will not allow a country with less than 3 players to play. Later, Palau players learned that Burundi was allowed to play with 2 players because they talked to FIDE President Kirsan Ilyumzhinov to allow them to play. And he did!
Even if Palau team members knew this idea, it will not happen because during the election year 2010 Russia World Chess Olympiad, Kirsan knows that Palau is voting for former world champion Anatoly Karpov, his opponent in the FIDE presidency.
Against Burundi, Palau’s Board 1 player Hernandez and Board 4 player Menandro don’t have opponents while Elizabeth Manuel is up against Deo Ntagasigumwami, where she lost in 22 moves of Pirc Defence.
After winning top and lower boards, all that Bernardo Garcia needs is a draw to win the team’s 2nd match win. Garcia easily disposed off Alexis Rwamavubi in 21 moves of English Opening.
Before that game, Garcia seemed to be very tired and said to Team Captain Jamie and Roberto: “I want to take a rest tonight.” He knows that he can’t afford to take a rest because they don’t have a reserve player. He is just joking and Roberto also jokingly said, “Okay, you REST IN PEACE!”
Jamie agreed jokingly also and said, “Yes, you REST IN PEACE!”
Solution to last week’s puzzle: 1. Qxd2+!! Bxd2 2. Re4+!! dxe4 3. d4 mate.
This week’s puzzle: White to move and mates in 3 (Solution next issue)
Source:
Chessmate by Roberto Hernandez
Chessmate by Roberto Hernandez
Tia Belau Newspaper
Pages 9 & 11
Volume 22
Issue 52
July 01, 2013
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