(803) I DREW WITH GM DARWIN LAYLO IN Sept. 25, 1989 (Manila Mayor's Cup Open Chess Tournament)

DISCOVERIES AMONG MY OLD CHESS SCORE SHEETS
       GM Darwin Laylo, right, GM Wesley So, middle, and NM, FI Roberto Hernandez, left, met for the first time in 2010 World Chess Olympiad in Khanty-Mansiysk, Russia. Just lately, Roberto discovered from his old files of chess score sheets that he and GM Laylo had played a game in the 6th round of Manila Mayor's Cup Open Chess Tournament in Sept. 25, 1989. It's a draw in a marathon 70 moves of Sicilian Defence (Najdorf Variation) where Roberto is down by 2 pawns in the endgame of rook and pawns.        
                                                   (Photo by Roberto Hernandez--- Taken by Tito Cabunagan)



      I DREW WITH GM DARWIN LAYLO
                  IN SEPT. 25, 1989 at
 Manila Mayor's Cup Open Chess Tourney

As I look at my old score sheets, I discovered that I have played a game against GM Darwin Laylo in the 6th round of Manila Mayor's Cup Open Chess Tournament in Sept. 25, 1989, where it is also the 6th year anniversary of our church wedding with my wife Flor.

I remember that I played all rounds (9), except against WNM Christine Rose Mariano where I am absent and lost by default. 

My 1st round opponent is Mr. Datu. I'm not sure if it's Idelfonso or Ildefonso, but one of them is a National Master and I lost that 1st game as usual. I wrote the chess notation in English notation.

My 2nd opponent is Ryan Gaffud where I won and wrote the chess notations in Algebraic this time.

I lost to C. Padua in the 3rd round and wrote the notations in English notation again!

I won in the 4th round against Angel Mamaed and back to Algebraic notation again.

In the 5th round, I lost to B. Dacalos in a marathon 69 moves and wrote the notations in English again.

Then comes the 6th round with me playing the white pieces against the kid, Darwin Laylo. It's a Sicilian Defence game, Najdorf Variation where Darwin is up by 2 pawns in the endgame of rook and pawns endgame.
                         HERE'S THE SCORE:
1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 a6 6. Bg5 e5 7. Nb3 Be6 8. Be2 Be7 9. 0-0 Nbd7 10. Qd2 0-0 11. f4 Rc8 12. Kh1 b5 13. Bd3 Nh5 14. Bxd7 Qxd7 15. f5 Bc4 16. Ne2 Nhf6 17. Rf3  Nc5 18. Nxc5 Rxc5 19. b3 Bxd3 20. cxd3 d5 21. Qg5 h6 22. Qh4 Rfc8 23. Rg3 Kh7 24. h3 Rc2 25. Ng1 R8c3 26. Nf3 dxe4 27. Ng5+ Kh8 28. Nxe4 Rc1+ 29. Rxc1 Rxc1+ 30. Kh2 Qa7 31. Rf3 Qg1+ 32. Kg3 Nxe4+ 33. Qxe4 Qe1+ 34. Qxe1 Rxe1 35. Kf2 Ra1 36. Re3 Rxa2+ 37. Re2 Ra3 38. Rxe5 Rxb3 39. d4 a5 40. d5 a4 41. Re8+ Kh7 42. d6 Rd3 43. Rd8 a3 44. d7 a2 45. Ra8 Rxd7 46. Rxa2 Rd5 47. g4 h5 48. Ke3 hxg4 49. hxg4 Kh6 50. Ke4 Rc5 51. Rb2 Kg5 52. Kd4 Rc4+ 53. Kd5 Rxg4 54. Rxb5 Rf4 55. Rb1 Rxf5+ 56. Ke4 Kg6 57. Rg1+ Rg5 58. Rf1 f6 59. Rh1 f5+ 60. Ke5 Rg4 61. Re1 Kg5 62. Rf1 f4 63. Ke4 Kh4 64. Kf3 Rg3+ 65. Kxf4 g5+ 66. Kf5 g4 67. Kf4 Rc3 68. Rh1+ Rh3 69. Rf1 g3 70. Rg1    (Draw) 

I lost to F. Alejar in round 7 and default loss to WNM Christine Rose Mariano in the 8th and lost the final (9th) round match with Edmundo Gatus (2092 rating).

Darwin Laylo became the 7th Grandmaster of the Philippines in 2007, 33 years after GM Eugene Torre became Asia's first Grandmaster in 1974.

Two years later, Rosendo Balinas became the 2nd GM of the Philippines after winning a strong Soviet tournament where he refused to eat the food that the Soviets are giving him. He thought that they put 'drugs' to it so that he cannot think properly and preferred boiled eggs and other 'safe' food.

It took 17 years before Philippines got its 3rd GM in Rogelio 'Joey' Antonio, Jr. in 1993 and another 7 years before getting its 4th GM in Buenaventura "Bong' Villamayor in 2000.

Four years later, Nelson Mariano II became the 5th GM of Philippines in 2004 followed by GM Mark Paragua the next year and then Darwin Laylo followed suit after 2 years. 

   GM Wesley So is cutting his birthday cake with GM Darwin Laylo at his left. To his right is GM Eugene Torre and at his back are Roberto Hernandez and Almario Marlon Bernardino.   (Photo by Roberto Hernandez)


 The 2nd time I met GM Darwin Laylo is during the 18th birthday celebration of GM Wesley So (Sept. 10, 2011) at Shakey's Pizza Parlor in Tomas Morato Quezon City, where I also met Congressman Prospero 'Butch' Pichay for the 2nd time likewise. The first time is during the final round (11th) of 2010 World Chess Olympiad in Khanty-Mansiysk, Russia.

It is during the term of Cong. Pichay (2008-Present) that Philippines produced 9 GMs.

GM Wesley So and GM Jayson Gonzales in 2008;
GM John Paul Gomez and GM Joseph Sanchez in 2009;
GM Rogelio Barcenilla and GM Roland Salvador in 2010;
GM Julio Catalino Sadorra, GM Oliver Barbosa and GM Richard Bitoon in 2011. 


Source: History of Chess In Palau
              By Roberto Hernandez
              September 1989-October 2014