(1237) ROBERTO SCORES 5 STRAGITH, TIES JEFF AND PAX FOR LEAD (TBN-July 11, 2016)

THE COMPLETE PALAU OPEN TEAM TO BAKU OLYMPIAD

                    Left to right:  Roberto Hernandez, Paquito Suringa, Jr. and from right to left—Allan Alcid, Jeff Balbalosa and Dennis Gonzales. Hernandez is also the Team Captain while Eric Ksau Surangel Whipps is the Delegate. No women’s team in non-election year Olympiad. In the 2018 WCO in Batumi, Georgia there will be Open and Women’s team of Palau. If Tokyo, Japan would win the bid to host the 2020 WCO, there might be a women’s team again because it’s close to Palau and airfare is not a problem.
                                         (Photo by Roberto Hernandez)

ROBERTO SCORES 5 STRAIGHT,

  TIES JEFF AND PAX FOR LEAD

 

In the resumption of 2016 Palau Rapid Chess tilt (Part 2) in its 2^nd week, 3^rd seed Roberto Hernandez (1842 rating) seized the lead after scoring 5 straight wins prior to bowing to erstwhile leader Jeff Balbalosa (1694) and Paquito ‘Pax’ Suringa, Jr. (1795) in the 1^st and 2^nd round respectively.

                After having a bye in the 3^rd round, Hernandez outsmarted fellow teammate in Baku, Azerbaijan World Chess Olympiad Allan Alcid (1656) in 42 moves of Danish Gambit in the 4^th round. THE MOVES:  Hernandez, Roberto (1842) - Alcid, Allan (1656) [C21]

2016 Rapid Chess (2) (4), 03.07.2016

            1. e4 e5 2.d4 exd4 3.c3 Nf6 4.e5 Nd5 5.Qxd4 Nb6 6.Nf3 c5 7.Qe4 Be7 8.Bd3 Nc6 9.0–0 d5 10.exd6 Qxd6 11.Bf4 f5 12.Qe3 Nd5 13.Bxd6 Nxe3 14.fxe3 Bxd6 15.Nbd2 0–0 16.Bc4+ Kh8 17.Ng5 Ne5 18.Bb3 h6 19.Ne6 Rf6 20.Nf4 Ng4 21.Nc4 b5 22.Nxd6 Rxd6 23.Rf3 Bb7 24.Rg3 c4 25.Bc2 Rad8 26.h3 Rd2 27.hxg4 Rxc2 28.gxf5 Rdd2 29.Ng6+ Kh7 30.Nf8+ Kg8 31.Ne6 Rxg2+ 32.Rxg2 Rxg2+ 33.Kf1 Rxb2 34.Rd1 Bc6 35.Rd8+ Kf7 36.Rf8+ Ke7 37.Rc8 Bd7 38.Rc7 a5 39.Nc5 Kd6 40.Rxd7+ Kxc5 41.Rxg7 b4 42.cxb4+ Kxb4    1–0 (Alcid’s time run out)

            Angelo Salvadora (1643) is next to bow down in just 18 moves of Sicilian Defence. THE MOVES:  Salvadora, Angelo (1643) - Hernandez, Roberto (1842) [B20]

2016 Rapid Chess (2) (5), 03.07.2016

            1. e4 c5 2.Bc4 e6 3.Qf3 Be7 4.Ne2 Nc6 5.Qg3 Bf6 6.c3 Nge7 7.Na3 0–0 8.Nb5 Ne5 9.Bb3 c4 10.Ba4 Qa5 11.b3 Nd3+ 12.Kf1 a6 13.Nd6 Be5 14.Qg5 Qb6 15.Nd4 Qxd6 16.g3 Bxd4 17.cxd4 Qxd4 18.Qe3 Qxa1     0–1

            Top seed Cyril Tomas Montel, Jr. (1935) also lost on time on the 34^th move of Caro-Kann Defence with materials even—2 rooks each, a queen and 5 pawns each and bishop vs. knight. Hernandez is about to win more materials when Cyril’s clock runs out in this shorter 15-minute Rapid Chess without increment.     THE MOVES: Hernandez, Roberto (1842) - Montel, Jr., Cyril Tomas (1935) [B12]

2016 Rapid Chess (2) (6), 03.07.2016

      1. e4 c6 2.d4 d5 3.e5 Bf5 4.Nf3 e6 5.Bd3 Bxd3 6.Qxd3 c5 7.Qb5+ Qd7 8.Nc3 a6 9.Qe2 cxd4 10.Nxd4 Bc5 11.Nb3 Ba7 12.Qg4 f5 13.Qh5+ g6 14.Qh4 Nc6 15.Bg5 Qf7 16.f4 h6 17.Bf6 Nxf6 18.exf6 Nd4 19.0–0–0 Nxb3+ 20.axb3 Be3+ 21.Kb1 g5 22.fxg5 Bxg5 23.Qa4+ Qd7 24.Qd4 Kf7 25.Rhe1 Bxf6 26.Qe3 b5 27.Ne2 a5 28.Nf4 Rhe8 29.Nh5 Bg5 30.Qd4 Rg8 31.h4 Be7 32.Nf4 Rg4 33.Qe5 Qc6 34.Nxd5       1–0

            2^nd seed Tito Cabunagan (1870) suffered the same fate in 42 moves of Sicilian Defence (Dragon Variation), where he is ahead in the exchange but gave it back for 2 pawns. THE MOVES:

Cabunagan, Tito (1870) - Hernandez, Roberto (1842) [B72]

2016 Rapid Chess (2) (7), 03.07.2016

       1. e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.h3 g6 4.d4 cxd4 5.Nxd4 Nf6 6.Nc3 Bg7 7.Be3 0–0 8.Bd3 a6 9.Qd2 b5 10.b3 Bb7 11.0–0 b4 12.Nce2 Bxe4 13.Bxe4 Nxe4 14.Qxb4 Qc7 15.Rac1 Qd7 16.c4 d5 17.c5 Qc7 18.c6 e5 19.Qb7 Qxb7 20.cxb7 Ra7 21.Ne6 Rxb7 22.Nxf8 Bxf8 23.Rc8 Kg7 24.f3 Nd6 25.Rc2 d4 26.Bxd4 exd4 27.Nxd4 Nd7 28.Ne2 Nf5 29.g4 Ne3 30.Rc6 Nxf1 31.Kxf1 Ne5 32.Rxa6 Nxf3 33.Kg2 Ng5 34.Rc6 Ne6 35.Kf3 Ra7 36.a4 Rb7 37.Nc1 Ba3 38.a5 Bxc1 39.Rxc1 Rxb3+ 40.Ke4 Rb4+ 41.Kf3 Rf4+ 42.Ke2 Ra4       0–1

      Erstwhile leader Jeff lost 2 games in 4 rounds of play and tied for the lead with Pax, who almost had a perfect day but lost a game to Rustum Cabuso (1720) to keep abreast with Roberto and Jeff. Pax has one game left while Roberto will meet Cabuso and Dennis Gonzales (1714) in the penultimate and final round on July 10.

The current standings with the players FIDE ratings, points scored and 3 tiebreakers points:

Solution to last week’s puzzle No. 3481: 1. Nb4 Kh1 2. Qa2 mate. If 1. .. Kc1, 2. Qe1 mate.

This week’s puzzle No. 3482: White to move and mates in 2 (Solution next issue)




Sources: Chess Mate by Roberto Hernandez
               Tia Belau Newspaper
               Pages 9 & 11
               Volume 25
               Issue 65
               July 11, 2016

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

              Music and Me by Roberto Hernandez
              Tia Belau Newspaper
              March 15, 2012 -- April 18, 2013
              http://palau-chess.blogspot.com
              April 25, 2013 -- July 11, 2016

              The History of Chess in Palau
              By Roberto Hernandez
              June 09, 2002 -- July 11, 2016