(1153) PALAU CHESS CHAMPIONS FROM 2002-2015 (TBN-Jan. 18, 2016)

TOP FINISHERS OF 2015 PNCC

                     From left, Tito Cabunagan, Cyril Tomas Montel, Jr. (his 4^th straight), Felix Oling, Jr., Jeff Balbalosa, Destiny Sisior, Angelica Parrado, Angelil Sisior(a family affair in the combined Women and Junior Division), Josef Karlo Moyet and Gonzalo Escapatoria, Jr.   (Photo by Roberto Hernandez)

       PALAU CHESS CHAMPIONS

             FROM 2002-2015

  

THE FIRST ever chess tournament in Palau was held in June 09, 2002—(1) the All-Filipino Chess Tournament in which Daewoo Civil Engineer Eddie Grefiel won the 9-round Swiss system event. It concluded on August 04 and more than a month later, the 2^nd tourney, (2) the 2002 TFCP Open, was organized on Sept. 15-Dec. 1 in which Consul General Julius Torres won the single round-robin event.

                The first tourney of 2003, (3) the Open, Menandro Manuel topped the Class A and Chito Vargas clinched the Class B championship that was held on Jan. 12-April 27.

                4. 2003 Age Group Chess Tournament (May 25-Aug. 24, 2003) – Champion (Class A) – Edgardo Enarsao; Class B – Jose Omega; Under 12 years – Jayrome Soriano.

                5. 2003 Senior and Junior Chess Tournament (Sept. 21-Dec. 14)-Champion - Senior Division-Roberto Hernandez; Champion -- Junior Division – Charles Aquino.

                6. 2004 Non-Master Chess Tournament (Jan. 11-April 11) Senior Division Champion– Jess Toldoya; 18 years and under champion – Charles Aquino.

                7. 2004 Blitz Chess Tourney (April 11, 2004) – Champion- Roberto Hernandez.

                8. 2004 Open Chess Tournament (July 11 – Oct. 03)-Class A –Champion- Eddie Grefiel; Class B –Jose Omega.

                9. 2004 Invitational Blitz Chess Tournament (Aug. 01, 2004) Andrea Buriani (Italy) – Champion.

                10. 2004 Blitz Chess Tournament (Sept. 12, 2004) Menandro Manuel – Champion.

                11. 2004 Sunday Blitz Chess Tilt (Sept. 26, 2004) Menandro Manuel –Champion.

                12. 2004 Rapid Chess Tournament (Oct. 24-Dec. 19) Senior Division Champion-Eddie Grefiel; 18 years and below category champion – Em-R de Vera.

                13. 2004 Knights and Rooks Chess Club (Palau) Christmas Party and Blitz Chess Festival (Dec. 19) Co-champions –Eddie Grefiel and Menandro Manuel (both with 8 wins and 1 loss).

                14. 2005 Regular Chess Tournament (Jan. 06-April 17) Menandro Manuel – Champion.

                15. 2005 Blitz Chess Festival (April 24) Roberto Hernandez – Champion.

                16. 2005 Open Chess Tournament (May 22-Sept. 25) Jose Omega – Champion.

                17. 2005 Mid-Year Blitz Chess Festival (July 10) Champion—Roberto Hernandez (won 10, lost 2).

                18. 2005 Blitz Chess Contest (July 24) Menandro Manuel – Champion.

                19. 2005 Blitz Chess Competition (Aug. 7) Menandro Manuel – Champion.

                20. 2005 Blitz Chess Tilt (Aug. 14) Manuel Nedic and Menandro Manuel –Co-champions.

                21. 2005 Blitz Chess Tourney (Aug. 21) Jimmy Valenzuela –Champion (his first Blitz title).

                22. 2005 Blitz Chess Tournament (Sept. 4) Menandro Manuel, Cyril Montel, Jr.—Champions.

                23. 2005 Blitz Chess fest (Sept. 18) Champion – Menandro Manuel.

                24. 2005-2006 Rapid Chess Tournament (Oct. 23, 2005 – Feb. 12, 2006) M. Manuel-Champion.

                25. 2005 Christmas Blitz Chess Festival (Dec. 18) Roberto Hernandez – Champion.

                26. 2006 Blitz Chess Tourney (Jan. 29) Manuel Nedic –Champion (6-1 win-loss record).

                27. 2006 One-day Blitz Chess Tournament (Feb. 19) Edwin Eti, Roberto Hernandez –Champions.

                28. 2006 Palau National Chess Championship (March 19-Aug. 06) Manuel Nedic (17-3-2) and Menandro Manuel (18-4-0) co-champions and became Palau’s first National Master (NM).

                29. 2006 Pre Championship Blitz Tourney (March 5) Eugenio Pastrana (5-1-2) and Roberto Hernandez (6-2-0) –Champions. Eugenio’s first and only Blitz chess title.

                30. 2006 Opening Round Blitz Chess Contest (March 19) M. Nedic, Edwin Eti – Co Champions.

                31. 2006 Blitz Chess (10 minutes) March 26 –Menandro Manuel (6-0-0) – Champion.

                32. 2006 Blitz Chess Contest (April 02) Roberto Hernandez (5-2-1) –Champion.

                33. 2006 After the Games Blitz Chess Tilt (April 16) Menandro Manuel (7-1-0) – Champion.

                34. 2006 Blitz Chess Tournament (April 23) Edwin Eti (4-1-1) – Champion.

                35. 2006 Sunday Evening Blitz Chess Tourney (April 30) Edwin  Eti (8-1-3) – Champion.

                36. 2006 Blitz Chess Contest (May 7) Menandro Manuel (7-1-0)—Champion.

                37. 2006 International Blitz Chess Tournament (May 14) Florencio Campomanes (FIDE Honorary Lifetime President) 6-0-1 – Champion.

                38. 2006 6-player Blitz Chess Competition (May 21) Cyril Montel, Jr. (7-3-0)—Champion.

                39. 2006 Blitz Chess Tourney (June 11) Menandro Manuel (10-0-0)—Champion.

                40. 2006 Ambassador Marino Cup Rapid Chess Tournament (June 25, July 2, 9)

Rated Division Champions –Jose Omega and Roberto Hernandez (both with 9-1-0 record); Unrated Division Champion –Vincent Vergara (7-3-0); Women’s Champion – Flor Hernandez(8-1-0); Junior Champion –Geaury Ken Pastrana (4-0-0).

                41. 2006 Palau Invitational Chess Championship (Aug. 31-Sept. 5) Hilton Bennett (NZ)-Champion.

                42. 2006 Rapid Chess Tournament (Oct. 01-Dec. 17) Champions—Antonio Villa(13-3-4), Menandro Manuel  (14-4-2).

                43. 2006 3-player Blitz Chess Tournament (Oct. 01) Edwin Eti (3-1-0) –Champion.

                44. 2006 Blitz Chess Contest (Oct. 18) Menandro Manuel – Champion.

                45. 2006 Blitz Chess Tourney (Nov. 12) Antonio Villa (10-0-1) – Champion.

                46. 2006 Blitz Chess Competition (No. 19) Antonio Villa (5-1-1) – Champion.

                47. 2006 Blitz Chess Tilt (1) Nov. 26 –Champions – Jose Omega, Antonio Villa (both 7-1-0). The other contestants are Roberto Hernandez, Menandro Manuel and Eugenio Pastrana.

                48. 2006 Blitz Chess Tilt (2) Nov. 26 – Champion-Edwin Eti (6-1-1). The other contestants are Antonio Villa, Roberto Hernandez, Cyril Montel, Jr. and Eugenio Pastrana.

                49. 2006 After Final Round Blitz Contest (Dec. 10) Antonio Villa (10-2-0) – Champion.

                50. 2006 Christmas Blitz Chess Festival (Dec. 24) Rey Lapuz – Champion. The other participants are Craig Dittrich, Val Vidar, Emmie Buyacao and Andy Estargo.

                51. 2007 Palau National Chess Championship (Jan. 28-May 05) Champions—Roberto Hernandez and Antonio Villa (both with 7-2-0 record and became the 3^rd and 4^th National Master of Palau.

                52. 2007 Palau Royal Resort Rating Chess Tournament (July 21-Oct 31)—Champion –Roberto Hernandez (29-4-3).

                53. 2007 Palau Invitational Chess Championship (Sept. 15-20) Champions—Boris Michael Diez (Philippines) and Menandro Manuel.

                54. 2007-2008 Open Rapid Chess Tournament (Nov. 18, 2007-Feb. 10, 2008) Champions – Antonio Villa and Manuel Nedic (both with 23-4-3 record).

                55. 2008 Palau National Chess championship (Unfinished) April 26-Nov. 23

                     (Menandro Manuel – champion for having the most number of points).

                56. 2009 PNCC – Champion – Cyril Tomas Montel, Jr.

                57. 2010 PNCC –Champion –Menandro Manuel

                58. 2011 PNCC –Champions – Tito Cabunagan, Cyril Tomas Montel, Jr. and Roberto Hernandez.

                59. 2011 Palau Invitational Chess Championship (Dec. 14-20) Champions – Joselito Marcos (Papua New Guinea) and Menandro Manuel.

                60. 2011 Invitational Blitz Chess Championship (Dec. 20) Roberto Hernandez –Champion.

                61. 2012 PNCC –Champion—Tito Cabunagan    62. 2013 PNCC –Champion –Jose Celiz (Top 10 Division); Manuel Mahor, Jr. (Reserves Division); Angelica Parrado (Women’s Division); Ksau Anthony Whipps (Junior Division).

                63. 2014 Palau Open (Group A)—Champion—Roberto Hernandez; Group B-Paquito Suringa, Jr.

                64. 2014 PNCC –Top 10 Champion—Cyril Tomas Montel, Jr.; Reserves—Gonzalo Escapatoria, Jr.; Women—Angelica Parrado; Junior Top 3 –Destiny Sisior, Angelil Sisior and Ultei Surangel.

                65. 2015 Blitz, Rapid and PNCC all won by Cyril; 2015 Top 10 Qualifier—Allan Alcid –Champion.

                The first tourney of 2016, the Lightning Chess Championship, will be held on Monday, Jan. 18, 2016 at Surangel Construction Office in Malakal at 6pm. I apologize to Rustum Cabuso, for forgetting his name in the list of possible contestants last week. Of course, he can join the tilt. He’s been inactive in the standard chess since 2013.

                 RESULTS OF 2016 ONE-DAY LIGHTNING CHESS CHAMPIONSHIP:
1. Cyril Tomas Montel, Jr. ($25.00) 2. Rustum Cabuso ($20.00) 3. Jeff Balbalosa ($15.00) 4. Eugene Labarda 5. Manuel Mahor, Jr. 6. Dennis Gonzales 7.Baby Edna Mission 8. Josef Karlo Moyet 9.
Arnolfo Inres 10. Roberto Hernandez 11. Roxanne Parco 12. Destiny Sisior 13. Glen Navarroza 14. Angelica Parrado 15. Angelil Sisior 16. Eric Ksau Surangel Whipps.

Solution to last week’s puzzle No. 3801:  1. Qxg8+!! Kxg8 2. Rh8+! Kxh8 3. Bf7 mate.

This week’s puzzle No. 3821: White to move and mates in 3 (Solution next issue)

Sources: Chess Mate by Roberto Hernandez
               Tia Belau Newspaper
               Pages 9-10
               Volume 25
               Issue 3
              January 18, 2016


              Chess and Music (Perfect Combination)
              The Beginning of Chess in Palau
              By Roberto Hernandez
              To be published as a book in the future

              The History of Chess in Palau
              By Roberto Hernandez
              June 09, 2002 -- January 18, 2016

              Music and Me
              By Roberto Hernandez
              Tia Belau Newspaper
              March 15, 2012 -- April 2013
              http://palau-chess.blogspot.com
              April 2013 -- January 18, 2016