(1095) TOP SEEDS PREVAIL IN OPENING DAY OF 2015 PNCC

Joel Gemota, 2nd from right, brother/sister of Joan Gemota, poses for the 1st round with Manuel 'Jun' Mahor, Jr. at Board 1 of the Reserves Division. Gemota's 1st round opponent is Nilo de Jesus, who is playing basketball in the Masters League. Roberto has to informed Nilo that his clock is running (22 minutes has gone by) before taking a break from basketball and defeated Gemota in less than half hour.
              Arnolfo Inres, 2nd from left, lost to Gonzalo Escapatoria, Jr. at Board 2, while Tito Cabunagan, right, the real opponent of Mahor, Jr., defeated  his adversary in another "lucky fashion".
                                                         (Photo by Roberto Hernandez)

[Event "2015 PNCC"]
[Site "Bethlehem Park Koror City, Palau"]
[Date "2015.10.11"]
[Round "1"]
[White "Cabunagan, Tito"]
[Black "Mahor, Jr., Manuel"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "C01"]
[White Elo "1821"]
[Black Elo "1489"]
[Ply Count "61"]

1. e4 e6 2. Nf3 d5 3. exd5 exd5 4. d4 Nf6 5. h3 Be6 6. Be3 Nbd7 7. Bd3 Bd6 8.
Nbd2 h6 9. c3 c6 10. Qc2 a5 11. a3 b5 12. a4 b4 13. c4 c5 14. Bf5 Qe7 15. Bxe6
fxe6 16. O-O O-O 17. Rfe1 Qf7 18. dxc5 Nxc5 19. Bxc5 Bxc5 20. cxd5 Rac8 21. Qd3
Nxd5 22. Ne4 Nf4 23. Qf1 Nxh3+ 24. Kh1 Qh5 25. Nxc5 Nxf2+ 26. Kg1 Qh1+ 27. Kxf2
Qh4+ 28. Kg1 Rxf3 29. Qxf3 Rxc5 30. Qa8+ Kh7 31. Qe4+ 1-0

Josef Karlo Moyet, left, took advantage of Eugene Labarda's blunder to win in the shortest game of the event so far -- 14 moves.                                      (Photo by Roberto Hernandez)

[Event "2015 PNCC"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2015.10.11"]
[Round "1"]
[White "Moyet, Josef Karlo"]
[Black "Labarda, Eugene"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "B30"]
[BlackElo "1525"]
[PlyCount "27"]

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 e6 4. a3 g6 5. d3 Bg7 6. Be3 d6 7. Qd2 Nge7 8. Nc3
d5 9. exd5 exd5 10. Ba2 O-O 11. Bh6 Re8 12. Qf4 d4 13. Qxf7+ Kh8 14. Qxg7# 1-0

Top seed Roberto Hernandez, left, vs. 10th seed Angelo Salvadora.
                                                 (Photo by Roberto Hernandez)

[Event "2015 PNCC"]
[Site "Bethlehem Park Koror City, Palau"]
[Date "2015.10.11"]
[Round "1"]
[White "Hernandez, Roberto"]
[Black "Salvadora, Angelo"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "C21"]
[White Elo "1840"]
[Ply Count "53"]

1. e4 e5 2. d4 Qf6 3. d5 Bc5 4. Nf3 h6 5. Nc3 a6 6. Be2 d6 7. O-O Bg4 8. a3 Ne7
9. Nd2 Bxe2 10. Qxe2 Ng6 11. Nb3 Bb6 12. Be3 Bxe3 13. fxe3 Qg5 14. Rf5 Qe7 15.
Raf1 O-O 16. Qg4 Nd7 17. Ne2 Nf6 18. Rxf6 gxf6 19. Qh5 Kh7 20. Ng3 f5 21. exf5
Nh8 22. f6 Qd7 23. Nf5 Qxf5 24. Qxf5+ Ng6 25. Rf3 Kh8 26. Qh5 Kh7 27. Rh3 1-0

The exchange sacrifice of Roberto on the 18th move (a rook for a knight) shattered Angelo's position that even giving up his queen for a knight didn't stop the inevitable move on the 29th or 30th move.
                                                       (Photo by Roberto Hernandez)

The longest game of the day -- Allan Alcid, left, vs. 2nd seed Cyril Tomas Montel, Jr. It lasted 76 moves and almost 6pm to finish with Cyril still has 48 minutes left in his clock while Allan has more than an hour.
                                                       (Photo by Roberto Hernandez)

[Event "2015 PNCC"]
[Site "Bethlehem Park Koror City, Palau"]
[Date "2015.10.11"]
[Round "1"]
[White "Montel, Jr., Cyril Tomas"]
[Black "Alcid, Allan"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "E10"]
[White Elo "1837"]
[Ply Count "151"]

1. d4 e6 2. c4 Nf6 3. Nf3 c5 4. Bg5 h6 5. Bh4 Qa5+ 6. Nc3 Ne4 7. Qc2 cxd4 8.
Nxd4 Bb4 9. Rc1 Nxc3 10. bxc3 Ba3 11. Rd1 O-O 12. e3 Nc6 13. Nb3 Qh5 14. Bg3 d5
15. Be2 Qg6 16. Qxg6 fxg6 17. cxd5 exd5 18. O-O Be6 19. Rd2 Rac8 20. Nd4 Nxd4
21. cxd4 Bb4 22. Rb2 a5 23. Be5 Rf7 24. Bd3 Bf5 25. Bxf5 gxf5 26. g3 Rc6 27.
Rfb1 b6 28. Rb3 Rb7 29. Kg2 Rc3 30. Rxc3 Bxc3 31. Rc1 Bb4 32. a4 Kf7 33. Rc7+
Rxc7 34. Bxc7 b5 35. axb5 Ke7 36. e4 fxe4 37. Bf4 a4 38. Bc1 a3 39. f3 a2 40.
Bb2 e3 41. Kf1 Kd7 42. Ke2 Bd2 43. h4 Kc7 44. f4 Kb6 45. g4 Kxb5 46. g5 Bc1 47.
Ba1 h5 48. f5 Kc4 49. f6 gxf6 50. g6 Bd2 51. g7 Bc3 52. g8=Q Bxa1 53. Qa8 Bxd4
54. Qxa2+ Kc5 55. Qc2+ Kd6 56. Qf5 Be5 57. Qxh5 d4 58. Qf5 Ke7 59. h5 Kf7 60.
Qg6+ Ke7 61. Qg7+ Ke6 62. h6 f5 63. Qxe5+ Kxe5 64. h7 Ke4 65. h8=Q d3+ 66. Ke1
f4 67. Qa8+ Kd4 68. Qa7+ Ke4 69. Qb7+ Kd4 70. Qf3 Ke5 71. Kd1 d2 72. Kc2 Kf5
73. Kd3 Ke5 74. Qh5+ Kf6 75. Ke4 Ke6 76. Kxf4 1-0







John Malinao, left, is one of the 2 newcomers in the Reserves Division. The other one is Joel Gemota. Malinao's 1st round opponent is Rafael Paloma. Their game ended in a draw. Malinao admitted that he is nut used to play in long games like the National Championships. Sitting in the middle is 5th seed Paquito Suringa, Jr., practicing with Baby Edna Mission, the 2nd seed in the Women's Division. Paquito's 1st round opponent, CM Bernardo Garcia, was present but they were not able to play their game, It was re-scheduled on the week day before the 2nd round on Oct. 18. The same with Jeff Balbalosa vs. Dennis Gonzales match.
                                                  (Photo by Roberto Hernandez)

                               



Sources: Chess and Music (Perfect Combination)
              The Beginning of Chess in Palau 
              By Roberto Hernandez
              June 09, 2002 -- October 11, 2015
              To be published as a book in the future

              The History of Chess in Palau
              By Roberto Hernandez
              October 11, 2015

              Music and Me
             By Roberto Hernandez
             Tia Belau Newspaper
             March 15, 2012 -- April 2013
             http://palau-chess.blogspot.com
             April 2013 -- October 11, 2015