2004 RAPID chess champ Eddie Grefiel and 3-time blitz chess king Menandro Manuel shared the latest edition of blitz chess fest crown on Sunday, Dec. 20 at Image Lounge (front area).
Both Grefiel and Manuel have an undefeated record of 8 wins and a draw and split the cash prize of the top 2 finishers ($40.00) that were taken from the registration fee of $5.00 from the 10 contestants.
Manuel won his 3rd straight blitz title. He won his first one this year on September 12 with a win-loss record of 4-1 and the 2nd, two weeks later (September 26) with the same win-loss record.
Roberto Hernandez (6-3-0) and Cyril Montel, Jr. (6-3-0) shared 3rd and 4th spot and split the $10.00 prize. Joel Azana (4-5-0) and Lin de Guzman (4-5-0) are tied at 5th and 6th place while Gene Pastrana (3-6-0), in his first-ever blitz participation, took 7th place.
Jimmy Valenzuela (2-6-1) and Bong Alipoon (2-6-1) shared the 8th and 9th spot and lone Palauan bet Morton Sawaichi was scoreless in 9 games. He got his baptism of fire in the blitz chess tourney where he had at least 2 winning games in a couple of occasions, but didn't find the right continuation.
The final 6 games of the 2004 Rapid Chess Tournament were played with Manuel beating Ivan II Chess Computer in a Queen's Gambit Declined game and won by default over absent Mariano Agustin, Jr. to finish with 12-5-0 win-loss-draw slate for a total of 12 points.
Montel, Jr. (11-4-2) and Jose Omega (12-5-0) also have 12 points but Manuel got the highest tiebreak points (96.5) against Montel, Jr. (95) and Omega's 91.5.
OTHER FINAL ROUND RESULTS WERE DEFAULTS:
De Guzman d. Agustin, Jr.; Valenzuela d. Agustin, Jr. and Ivan II Chess Computer vs. Agustin, Jr. was a draw.
WRAPPING UP THE FINAL STANDINGS AND THEIR RECORD:
1. Eddie Grefiel 15-2-0
2. Roberto Hernandez 14-3-0
3. Jose Misael de Jesus 12-4-1
4. Menandro Manuel
5. Cyril Montel, Jr.
6. Jose Omega
7. Ivan II Chess Computer 9-4-4
8. Jimmy Valenzuela 9-7-1
9. Lin de Guzman 9-7-1
(Most Improved Player)
10. Bong Alipoon 9-8-0
11. Eugenio Pastrana 8-9-0
12. Joel Azana 5-9-3
13. Morton Sawaichi 5-12-0
14. Dennis Gonzales 3-11-3
15. Mariano Agustin, Jr. 4-12-1
16. Wilson Milambiling 2-11-4
17. Pastor Fontanilla 0-12-5
18. Mike Miguel, Jr. 0-14-3
The Knights and Rooks Chess Club Christmas party was held before the blitz chess tourney with Manuel bringing in a mackerel fish.
Former champ Jess Toldoya and Bong Alipoon each chipped in 12 cans of beer.
Toldoya acted as the arbiter in the blitz tourney. Kabayan Restaurant, which is the refreshment sponsor, was requested to prepare fried noodles while trophies sponsor The Filipino Community in Palau (TFCP) were not able to prepare the trophies for the top 5 finishers in the senior division and the top 2 in the kid's division.
The 6 trophies for the 2004 Open winners in Class A and B were ready but half of the recipients were absent and it was decided that it will be given on the opening day of the next tournament to start on Jan. 16, 2005 at a still undetermined place.
Two more individuals or company have expressed their willingness to sponsor the first chess event of 2005.
Leo Lacambra, Jr., a member of Palau Paradise Lions Club, offered to sponsor, but a Palauan businessman, who will open an establishment soon, offered to host the event to De Guzman.
The Chairman (Hernandez) wrote him a letter to confirm his offer...
Source: History Of Chess In Palau
By Roberto Hernandez
2004
To be published as a book in the future
The 3rd to offer are Nestor and Lolit Canaria, who sponsored and hosted the 2004 Open. They will use the Western Union name this time. The site will be the same as the first (Filco Thrift Mart).
After the party, the players discussed the format of the 2005 Regular Chess Tournament and agreed to the time control of 90 minutes for each player to make 40 moves and another 30 minutes each to finish the game.
A $50.00 cash prize will be awarded to the brilliancy game. A single round-robin format and players are requested to write down their moves to qualify for the brilliancy game.
Montel, Jr. is now the favorite in this time control of 90 minutes to make 40 moves.
Source: Chess Mate by Roberto Hernandez
Tia Belau Newspaper
Pages 9-10
Volume 13
December 24-31, 2004
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