(1028) PARTICIPANTS OF 2003 SENIOR AND JUNIOR CHESS TOURNAMENT (TBN-Sept. 12-19, 2003)

                            PARTICIPANTS OF 2003
          SENIOR AND JUNIOR CHESS TOURNAMENT

THERE are 3 newcomers in both Senior and Junior Division of the 3^rd and final tournament for the year 2003 – the Seniors and Juniors Chess Tournament, that will start on Sept. 21 at the new venue—C & N Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Services premises. The event will conclude on Dec. 14.

                Jess Toldoya, who is always an observer in the last tournaments, finally joined together with the other 2 newcomers Rolando Funa and 21-year-old Francis Cuenco, to complete the 21-player roster of the Senior Division.

                The 13-round Swiss system Senior Division is now complete with the top 3 human seeds Roberto Hernandez, Menandro Manuel and Cyril Montel, Jr. leading their division with an identical national approximate rating of 1740.

                The top seed is Ivan II Chess Computer with its USACF rating of 2000, followed by 5^th seed Eugene Koh (1690), 6^th Jimmy Valenzuela (1680), 7^th Jose Omega (1665), 8^th Mike Miguel, Jr. (1655), 9^th Bong Alipoon (1640), 10^th Mariano Agusitin, Jr. (1625), 11^th Danny Dandoy (1600), 12^th Mario Ramos (1595), 13^th Nilo de Jesus (1560), 14^th, 15^th, 16, and 17^th  Amante Caballero, Ben Ramos, Manuel Mahor, Jr. and Norbert Villanueva with identical 1515 rating.  No. 18, 19, 20 and 21 Tutii Joe Chilton, Toldoya, Funa and Cuenco will start with 1510 approximate rating. If Jon Lagumen and Genaro Manlaya will join in this event, they will also start with the same rating as the last 4 players at 1510.

                The Junior Division’s 3 newcomers are 12-year-old Charles Aquino, John Page and Jovani Adachi. It’s a double round-robin format for the junior with a rapid time control of 30 minutes for each player to finish the game. It time permits, it is also a best of 3 series to give more playing time for junior players. Ivan II Chess Computer will join in the Senior and Junior Divisions with its strength at H (Hard) for Senior and E (Easy) for Junior.

                The other junior players are defending champion Jayrome Soriano, Ricky ‘Jun-Jun’ Camacho, Christopher Domingo, Rodnnie Dizon, Kelvin Cuenco and Dmitri Kyle Villanueva.

                This is the first tournament that the Knights and Rooks Chess Club (Palau) will ever hold as the first 4 tourneys ever held in Palau was sponsored/organized by The Filipino Community in Palau (TFCP) that produced 4 different champions. The 2002 All-Filipino Chess Tournament champion is Eddie Grefiel, followed by Consul General Julius Torres, who captured the 2002 Open. Menandro Manuel bagged the 2003 plum in his first try while Edgardo Enarsao is the latest champ by winning the 2003 Age Group Chess Tournament’s Class A championship.

                Enarsao will be leaving Palau for good and he will hold a simultaneous chess exhibition against any number of available players, especially those who hadn’t played against him yet, on the Opening day of the 2003 Senior and Junior Chess Tournament.

                His trophy will also be given to him in advance as he is leaving in 2 days after the opening day. GOOD LUCK AND GOODBYE TO A DESERVING CHAMPION!!!

                The trophies in this tournament will be provided by venue host Nilo de Jesus. He asked Hernandez to look for a different style of trophy this time. It’s a sort of storyboard- type of trophy, which is locally made. It doesn’t have to be chess pieces shaped trophies.



Source: Chess Mate by Roberto Hernandez
             Tia Belau Newspaper
             Pages 9-10
             Volume 12
             September 12-19, 2003