(781) PARRADO, PALOMA, BALBALOSA MISSED CM TITLES (TBN-Sept 01, 2014)

THE COMPLETE PALAU CHESS TEAM TO W.C.O. NORWAY

                   Before the start of 3^rd round against Guam, the Palau Chess Team, (in complete uniform) poses for a souvenir photo at the entrance of the venue –the Arena. Front row (L-R) Gladys Anne Paloma, Baby Edna Mission, Angelica Parrado, Destiny Sisior, Bernardo Garcia, Joy Flores Whipps. Back row (L-R) Dennis Gonzales, Jeffrey Balbalosa, Jamie Kenmure, Eric Ksau Surangel Whipps, Roberto Hernandez and Cyril Tomas Montel, Jr.     (Photo by Eric Ksau Surangel Whipps)


   PARRADO, PALOMA, BALBALOSA
          MISSED CM TITLES 

                WHEN Palau first participated in an Olympiad (2010 World Chess Olympiad in Khanty-Mansiysk, Russia), there’s no goal yet of acquiring a FIDE title (at least a Candidate Master title) as the 2 players who made it (Roberto Hernandez and Tito Cabunagan) were not allowed to play because of a minimum 3-player requirement.

                In the 2012 World Chess Olympiad in Istanbul, Turkey, Palau fielded in a 4-player line-up without a reserve so they played all 11 rounds without relief. Despite being swept in the first 3 rounds, Bernard Garcia drew his game against a strong Hong Kong player in the 4^th round and averted a shutout. He then won 3 straight to score a 50% performance of 3.5 points in 7 games and automatically gained a CM title.

                In the recently concluded 2014 World Chess Olympiad in Tromso, Norway, WNM Angelica Parrado scored the first half point of Palau Women’s Team in the 4^th round, won in the 5^th and 6^th round to be on target of a WCM title if she would win her 7^th round match against the poor African country Burundi. She did win! But by default as all of the Burundi women players didn’t show up.

                In the 8^th round, the Palau Men/Open section team is facing Burundi’s men team and one of the  players, on Board 2, didn’t show up so Garcia got his 2^nd victory by default.

                It became the top news of the Olympiad when the 8 members of Burundi’s Open and Women’s team have left Norway for greener pasture somewhere in the other 26 European Schengen states. Five women, 2 male team captains and the men/open Board 2 player have left. When the organizers checked their hotel rooms, all their belongings are gone. Their Schengen visa is for 3 months. There will be stricter screenings of Burundi players in the next 2016 World Chess Olympiad in Baku, Azerbaijan.

                Angie didn’t recover from that setback but she won very easily in her last outing against the top player of Rwanda in the final round. It is also in the 11^th and final round that Baby Edna Mission won her first ever game after losing the previous 8 games. When Roberto shook her hand to congratulate her, it’s very cold due to nervousness and pressure which is natural for beginners.

                Reserve Open section player of Palau Jeffrey Balbalosa have 2 points in 6 games. He can be Palau’s 2^nd CM if he would win his last 2 games (10^th and 11^th round). He lost a tough one against Rwanda but won against another tough opponent (a lady!) from Guyana and averted another shutout in more than 60 moves. Their endgame battle was stopped for 15 minutes when the Open Board 2 player of Seychelles suffered a heart attack. (A whole article will be published about this incident later).

                Roberto congratulated Jeff for his victory and like Baby Edna Mission, his hand is also very cold. In the 2012 WCO, Roberto averted a shutout against San Marino in the last round. Joselito Marcos of Papua New Guinea did the same avert of a shutout during the 2002 WCO in Bled, Slovenia. In both cases, (2002 and 2012 WCO), no teammates of Roberto and Joselito congratulated them.

                In Gladys Anne Paloma’s case, it’s a poor and inexperience decision of the team captain Jamie Kenmure to put Paloma on a Saturday matches (Aug. 2 and 9 – 1^st and 7^th round). Instead of 1. Parrado 2. Mission 3. Paloma 4. Sisior, it should have been 1. Parrado 2. Mission 3. Sisior 4. Whipps so that Gladys will have a rest on a Saturday match. Those 2 games that she should have been rested really affected her chances to get a WCM title.

                Solution to last week’s puzzle: 1. Ne7++ Kh8 2. Ng6+! hxg6 3. hxg3 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 23
              Issue 70
             September 01, 2014