(644) CYRIL STILL AT TOP; RUSTUM SURGES TO 7TH (TBN-Nov. 04, 2013)

FIRST TIME TO BE FEATURED AT CHESSMATE.

Three employees of Palau Royal Resort got their chances to be featured in this column. They are (from left) Security Officer Rhine Saburo, Cashier Remelyn Pascual, a participant in the Women's Division of 2013 Palau National Chess Championship, and Pastry Chef Mark Montales, who is learning chess by watching beginner players play at PRR Dorm 1.                              (Photo by Roberto Hernandez)



              CYRIL STILL AT TOP; 
                       CABUSO SURGES AT 7TH

  

                THE new ratings for Palau chess players have been published at www.fide.com for the month of November 2013. A total of 46 active players are now listed with Palau no. 1 Cyril Tomas Montel, Jr. keeping the spot but lost 19 points and dropped to 1895 from his previous 1914.

                At no. 2 is the retired Menandro Manuel at 1852 while the eventual champion Jose Celiz dislodged no. 3 Roberto Hernandez with a gain of 38 points from his previous 1791 and is now 1835. Had he won his final game against Nilo de Jesus, he should have overtaken Cyril at top.

                Hernandez (1850) lost 21 rating points and settled at 4^th with 1829. At 5^th is Tito Cabunagan, who lost 7 games, won 3 and drew 1. He is the 2^nd biggest loser of points (57). His previous 1842 rating is now 1785.

Candidate Master Bernardo Garcia (1722), who finished 2^nd in the 2013 PNCC, gained 45 points to improve to 1767 and keep his 6^th spot a little farther than the surging Rustum Cabuso, who has a 6-2 win-loss record before bowing to Celiz in the 9^th round.

If that tournament is a World Chess Olympiad, Cabuso would have been a FIDE Master. A player who scores 6 points in 9 games in an Olympiad will automatically become a FIDE Master (FM). Cabuso’s initial rating is 1739 followed by the improving Eugenio Pastrana (1702), who gained 20 points for finishing 4^th. His victories over Cyril and Rustum are criticized for his inability to update his score sheets during the game, which is not allowed in serious chess competitions.

First Palau Woman National Master Angie Parrado (1673) gained only 6 rating points because the Women’s Division was not fully rated because there’s not enough rated players, at least 1/3, in that division. There are 12 players in there and only 3 rated players (Angie, Baby Edna Mission and Paz Ngiratechekii).

There is a law in FIDE Handbook,  6.3 and 6.33 that if a women’s national chess championship will be held, it needs only 2 rated players to make it a fully FIDE rated event. But this exemption to the rule was not honored by FIDE’s chief rating officer.

The biggest loser of points in the Top 12 Division is Paquito ‘Pax’ Suringa, Jr. (58) but he made it to the top 10 at 1659 from his previous 1717. He scored only a win, a draw and lost 9 games mainly because his games had to be played in special time and date because he don’t have a Sunday day off.

At 11^th is Dennis Gonzales (1671), who lost 33 points because of his poor performance (2 wins, a draw and 8 losses) followed by Jeff Balbalosa(1612), who gained 25 points and has 1637 now.

The biggest gainer of points is Nilo de Jesus –104! His previous 1520 is now 1624 for the 13^th place. Unrated Rafael Paloma got his initial rating of 1602 for winning 3, drawing 1 and losing 7 games.

Gonzalo Escapatoria (1599) is now at 15^th while Remrel Dizon and Alfredo Pacenos, Jr. are tied at 16^th with an identical 1559 rating. They are tied also at 2^nd place in the Reserves Division.

Miguel Hilario, Jr. is at 18^th spot while Baby Edna Mission is at 19^th and lost 4 rating points. At 20^th is Eugene Labarda (1529) and Destiny Sisior gained 29 points for finishing 2^nd in the junior division and is now 1519—good for 21^st place.

At 22^nd is Mohammad Manik Hossain, who finished 5^th in the Reserves Division and gained only 9 points and improved from 1489 to 1498. The Reserves Division champion Manuel ‘Jun’ Mahor gained 65 points to climb at 23^rd from 1410 to 1475.

Junior champion Ksau Anthony Whipps gained 80 points! But it’s good only for 24^th spot as his previous 1382 is not enough to catch up with Destiny. At 25^th is Luciano Sibayan (1462) of Palau Royal Resort; 26^th –Elpidio Manaligod (1456); 27^th –Ferdinand Gutierrez (1452)

At 28^th is Jaime dela Cruz, who lost 87 points and is now 1433 from his previous 1520 which is the same previous rating of Jon “Sib” Manuel Reyes, the biggest loser of points –117. He now has 1403.

Tied at 30^th are PCF President Eric Ksau Whipps and Senator Mlib Tmetchul, who will be the Head of Delegation of Palau Chess Team to 2014 World Chess Olympiad in Tromso, Norway. They’ve got their initial rating of 1394.

At 32^nd is Geoff Martin (1370); 33^rd –Dan Roldan (1370); 34^th –Mary Frances Lopez (1356) and next at 35^th is the daughter of Cyril, Cyrelle Ann Montel at 1346.

At 36^th is Angelil Sisior, who lost 63 points and is now 1343 from her previous 1406; 37^th—Glen Navarosa (1294); 38^th—Zachary Techall Whipps (1289). He lost 81 points. At 39^th is Paz Ngiratechekii, who lost 8 points and is now 1266 from her previous 1274.

The last 7 in the list got their initial rating – 40. Fernan John Velarde (1261) 41. John Joseph Pabiona (1214)  42. Geaury Ken Pastrana (1199)  43. Dichem Tmetchul (1199)  44. Ronald Mission (1159)  45. Kyarii Sisior (1122) and 46. Kate Celiz (1073).

Solution to last week’s puzzle: 1. Qb3+ Ka5 2. Qxb5+!! axb5 3. Ra8 mate.

This week’s puzzle: White to move and mates in 3 (Solution next issue)

Source: Chessmate by Roberto Hernandez

             Tia Belau Newspaper

             Pages 9 & 10

             Volume 22

             Issue 88

             November 04, 2013