AFTER the Palau women's team to 2008 Dresden World Chess Olympiad were also unable to play, the focus now of the disappointed chess players are on the resumption of 2008 Palau National Chess Championship and the 3rd Ambassador Marino Cup (formerly known as the 3rd Palau Invitational Chess Championship).
***During the arguments about the Palau women's team, Mr. Jan Berglund emailed Roberto Hernandez -- asking him to send an email to Chief Arbiter Ignatius Leong that the 4 women (retired teachers from British Virgin Islands) have been to Palau teaching chess in schools. Roberto send the email but lately, he found out that the organizers are looking for a Palau stamps on their passports that they've really been to Palau at least once. They said that all of their passports are new and they didn't bring the old ones.
Eventually, the 4 women were denied participation. Their expensive airfares just to be there are not worth it. Roberto didn't know that Mr. Berglund will bring in those women.***
On Sunday evening, the much awaited match between Palau top player Menandro Manuel and no. 4 Roberto Hernandez finally materialized.
Fireworks occurred in their Sicilian Defence (Najdorf Variation) game.
On the 13th move, Hernandez sacrificed a whole knight for a pawn and obtain a strong attack.
On his 16th turn to move, Manuel consumed 32 minutes for one move that proved to be critical as he thwarted the relentless attack and spent another 15 minutes for his 25th move and later seized the initiative with 2 rooks, 2 bishops and 2 pawns against Hernandez' queen, knight and 4 pawns.
Hernandez resigned on the 49th move after making a blunder.
THE MOVES:
White: Roberto Hernandez (1830) (109)
Black: Menandro Manuel (1942)
1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 a6 6. Bg5
e6 7. f4 Qc7 8. Qf3 Nbd7 9. 0-0-0 b5 10. g4 Bb7 11. Bxf6 gxf6 12. g5 f5 13.
Nxe6 fxe6 14. Qh5+ Kd8 15. g6 b4 16. Rg1 Be7 17. gxh7 Nf6 18. Qf7 Rxh7 19. Qxe6
Rxh2 20. e5 Qd7 21. Rxd6 Bxd6 22. Qxf6+ Be7 23. Qb6+ Kc8 24. Rg8+ Bd8 25. Ne2
Bd5 26. Qc5+ Qc6 27. Qxc6+ Bxc6 28. e6 Ra7 29. Nd4 Bd5 30. Bxa6+ Rza6 31. e7
Bxg8 32. e8=Q Bd5 33. Qb5 Rg6 34. Qc5+ Bc7 35. b3 Be4 36. Qf8+ Kb7 37. Qxb4+
Rb6 38. Qe7 Rd6 39. Qg7 Rd5 40. Kb2 Rd2 41. Ne6 Rxc2+ 42. Ka3 Ra5+ 43. Kb4 Ra6
44. Nc5+ Rxc5 45. Kxc5 Rxa2 46. b4 Rc2 47. Kd4 Rf2 48. Qd7?? Rd2+ 0-1
A 5-player blitz chess contest was held right after their match and Hernandez redeemed himself by capturing the title against the original members of Palau Olympiad Chess team: Manuel, Manny Nedic, Cyril Montel, Jr., and venue host Gene Pastrana.
After the game, the 5 players talked about the future of chess in Palau and about Jan Berglund, who is coming to Palau after his stint as International Arbiter in Queenstown Classic Open Chess tournament in New Zealand on January 15-24, 2009.
He is currently negotiating for Palau to be a CACDEC member nation at the ongoing Chess Olympiad in Dresden, Germany and he successfully done it.
He will then obtain chess materials (chess boards, clocks, etc) but will be having a problem on overweight baggage.
He will also invite about a dozen chess players of different nationalities to participate in the 3rd Ambassador Marino Cup which is tentatively set after the Queenstown Classic.
He and the 3 women members of the Palau team are also arranging talks to Palau school officials about "Chess In Schools" meeting held during the Congress that coincide with the Olympiad.
They got really good input and also good arguments to use when approaching the government about chess in schools as well as some real good arguments to approach Palau National Olympic Committee.
Philippine Ambassador to Palau Ramoncito Marino is currently in the Philippines and will be back next month.
Talks about the final date of the event where he is sponsoring the cash prize of $1,000.00 will be finalized.
Mr. Berglund is hoping to get a sponsorship for the same amount. There might be a second tournament parallel to it.
The invited players can stay longer and their accommodation will be one of the primary concerns.
The second tournament might be a Swiss system and the Ambassdor Cup will be round-robin as the previous two where Palau players got their international rankings.
Source: Chessmate by Roberto Hernandez
Tia Belau Newspaper
Pages 13 & 15
Volume 17
November 24-December 01, 2008
No comments:
Post a Comment