THE President of Oceania Zone Mr. Gary Bekker of Australia has sent an invitation to Palau Chess Federation Secretary/Treasurer Roberto Hernandez and Gene Pastrana to play in Queenstown Classic chess tournament in New Zealand (January 15-24, 2009) and in the Oceania Zonal tournament in Gold Coast Australia in July 2009.
Mr. Bekker is willing to give free accommodation for these two prestigious chess events and an airfare subsidy of $500.00.
He is trying to get some more sponsorship from Asian Chess Federation President Sheikh Sultan Bin Khalifa Al-Nehyan for the rest of the airfare.
Upon consulting Mr. Pastrana, he can't go to these tournaments unless a full airfare sponsorship is provided.
The same thing to Hernandez as he has already taken his annual leave during the 2008 World Chess Olympiad date (Nov. 12-25), where their visa a week late and were unable to play for team Palau.
Mr. Bekker also extended the invitation to other top players of Palau Menandro Manuel, Cyril Montel, Jr., Dennis Lara, Craig Dittrich and even to Arnel Pama and Tony Villa, who are not in Palau anymore.
Hernandez forwarded the invitation to Allan Diez, who placed 3rd in the 2nd Ambassador Marino Cup (Palau Invitational Chess Championship) in 2007.
He is capable of buying his own airfare to the said events.
During the Chess Olympiad in Dresden, Germany, Mr. Bekker already promised to help out with at least free board and lodging and $500.00 as a contribution to Hernandez if he decided to go to Queenstown.
He'll share his room with Hernandez but didn't mention about the food.
Mr. Bekker also promised Mr. Jan Berglund, Palau Delegate to the Chess Olympiad, to be one of the arbiters at the Queenstown and Zonal but when Mr. Berglund talked to the main organizer, Grandmaster Murray Chandler, there is no budget for any more arbiters and Mr. Bekker said that he doesn't need any more arbiters for the Zonal in Brisbane, Australia.
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It means that Mr. Berglund is not going to these 2 tournaments and rather save those airfares and spend it in going to Palau instead.
He's hoping to go to Brisbane to coach one or 2 players from Palau and will see if there are any funds available to obtain that.
Also mentioned in the conversation is the school project for Palau. Mr. Bekker said that he had someone from the Philippines, who could come for a month.
The very same person will go for a month in Papua New Guinea. The salary for this person will be taken care of by someone so that it would not cost Palau anything.
In Dresden, Mr. Bekker also promised the 4 professional and retired teachers from USA/British Virgin Islands the airfares to go to Palau and teach.
The four women have spent from their own money to travel to Dresden without getting able to play for Palau women's team in the end.
Mr. Berglund thinks that it would be a much better idea to have these women as there would be responsible for this teaching for the entire semesters and they could inspire more women to start to play chess as well as waken up the USA community in the island to take part in the local tournaments.
In Hernandez' last day off (Sunday, Nov. 30), a blitz chess contest was held at Jean's Boutique and Store.
The other players were Manny Nedic, Gene Pastrana and Koror State Legal Counsel Craig Dittrich.
Hernandez emerged as champion by sweeping Pastrana and Dittrich and split his match with Nedic for a total of 5 wins and a loss.
Pastrana was 2nd with a 3-2-1 win-loss-draw slate. Nedic was 2-3-1 and Dittrich scored his only win against Nedic and finished with 1-5-0.
Source: Chessmate by Roberto Hernandez
Tia Belau Newspaper
Pages 13 & 15
Volume 17
December 08-14, 2008
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