: WELCOME TO
BAKU!
Palau Chess Team members were welcomed by
Azerbaijani lady volunteers at the airport upon their arrival on Sept. 01,
2016. From left are Sitara, Roberto Hernandez, Allan Alcid, Sabrina, Joselito
Marcos, Eric Ksau Surangel Whipps and Dennis Gonzales. The bulky tummies of
Palau participants are even more noticeable after the 2-week Olympiad. (Photo by Jeff Balbalosa)
EXPERIENCE IS THE BEST TEACHER
WITH the way things are going now at the 2016 Palau
National Chess Championship’s Top 10 Division, my teammate in 2016 World Chess
Olympiad in Baku, Azerbaijan Allan Alcid is showing how that experience in Baku
made him a better player. As he said in his conversation with Palau Head of
Delegation and Team Captain Joselito Marcos, his broad and extensive experience
that he learned includes patience and as what Lito said the so-so moves that
he’s not doing anymore in this event, esp. the discipline. Allan will try to
bag the 2016 PNCC title to qualify to 2018 Batumi, Georgia WCO.
Lito
added, “Go for it, Allan. Don’t waste the opportunity. Your every move must
have a purpose according to plan. Now, if your present plan is not going to
work, by all means change it. Adapt to the new situation. If before you are
attacking and it’s not working, defend if you must. A draw is better than a
loss.” The last sentence, A DRAW IS BETTER THAN A LOSS, was not applied by me
in the 3rd and 6th round of Palau vs. Hong Kong/Congo
matches where I should have drawn my matches with a CM player and a Congo
player that gained a FIDE Master title (FM). I took the risk of gaining whole
point instead of settling down with half point and could have averted the
eventual shut out of Palau against Hong Kong.
Aside
from “Experience is the Best Teacher”, it is also best to listen to the
teacher/coach, in which Lito is the best that Palau ever had. During his short
tenure as Team Captain, he knows the position of all 4 Palau players right from
move 1, until their weak moves, unnecessary double move by a piece, missing the
winning combination, exchange sacrifice, waiting moves and all other tactical
scope of our games. I discovered Lito’s vast experiences since 1978 as player,
coach, theoretician and puzzle composer when he gave me his soon to be released
book “Memoirs of a Chess Amateur-- My Memorable Games and Compositions” during
the Baku Olympiad (Sept. 01-14, 2016).
He’s
got a retentive memory that is second only to former world chess champion Bobby
Fischer. He remembers a game by Stuart Fancy vs. Dawit Wondimu from the 7th
round of 2002 World Chess Olympiad in Bled, Slovenia on Nov. 01, 2002. He told
Stuart, “You will lose after the exchange of queens!” Stuart said, “I don’t
believe you.” But that’s what happened because he didn’t see the passed pawn of
Dawit that force him to give back the exchange. Lito’s calculation is above
Stuart’s capability. He remembers games of other players better than those
players.
He
also remembers my game against Qatar GM Mohamad Al-Modiahki in the 1st
round of 2012 World Chess Olympiad in Istanbul, Turkey in which the pawn breakthrough
of my GM opponent cramped my position. And he’s doing it at home—online!
Because of sickness, he didn’t make it to Turkey to play for Papua New Guinea
team. ONLY ME AND LITO KNEW THAT BERNARD GARCIA IS BEING COACH ONLINE BY LITO
DURING THAT OLYMPIAD, WHERE GARCIA GAINED A CM TITLE, PALAU’S FIRST.
During
the 2012 PNCC, Bernard asked again for Lito’s help to coach him online but Lito
refused because it would be unfair to other participants especially to me. ALSO
NOBODY KNOWS IT BUT US.
When
we are watching the 8th round of Baku Olympiad between USA and
Russia, he whispered to me while looking at the giant chess boards, “Wesley So’s
(Black) opponent will resign after he moved 50. …b4.” I go to that table where
So (2782 FIDE rating, No. 7 in the world) is playing Russian Ian Nepomniachtchi
(White) (2740-currently 2767 No. 12 in the world) and he is congratulating
Wesley after he made the 50. …b4! I went back to him and said, “You’re right!
Ian resigned after Wesley’s 50. ..b4. Look at the giant board. It’s 0-1. LITO
SEES WHAT TOP GMs IN THE WORLD CAN SEE!
Who
said that “cheating” does not happen in the Olympiad’s lowest board assignments?
During our middle round encounter with an African nation, its team captain is
‘coaching’ one of his players but he is positioning 2 tables apart. Lito, who’s
seeing everything around him, ‘covered’ the cheater’s view by standing where
the player can’t see the captain’s gestures. NOBODY KNOWS THIS BUT US.
In
one of Allan Alcid’s game against another African nation, Lito whispered to me
that if Allan will move his pawn to b4, he will win that game. I and Allan’s
idea is Bishop to d3 and Allan’s opponent escaped with a draw. In the hotel, we
analyzed it and proved that b4 is the winning move.
This
is only a small part of high school valedictorian Joselito Marcos’ chess
experiences with the thought of “EVEN THE BEST COACH WILL NOT SUCCEED IF HIS
PLAYERS ARE NOT LISTENING TO HIM”.
Results
of special games played before the start of 1st round on Nov. 13:
Nov. 9 at PRR, Alcid defeated Rustum Cabuso in 36 moves
of French Defence (Advance Variation); Manuel Mahor, Jr., vs. Paquito Suringa,
Jr. (Draw in 48 moves of Albin Counter Gambit) and Jeff Balbalosa prevailed vs.
Gonzalo Escapatoria, Jr. in 51 moves.
Solution
to last week’s puzzle No. 7 by CM Joselito Marcos: (It is mate in 2 moves, not
3) Published in Philippine Star- Jan. 29, 1994: 1. Nc6 – 1. …exd5 2. Bf5# 1.
…Kxd5 2. Qxf3# 1. … c4 2. Rd4#
This
week’s puzzle No. 8: White to move and mates in 3 (Solution next issue)
Sources: Chess Mate by Roberto Hernandez
Tia Belau Newspaper
Pages 9 & 11
Volume 25
Issue 91
November 14, 2016
Chess and Music (Perfect Combination)
The Beginning of Chess in Palau
By Roberto Hernandez
Soon to be published as a book
Memoirs of a Chess Amateur --
My Most Memorable Games and Compositions
By CM Joselito Marcos
Page 429
Music and Me by Roberto Hernandez
Tia Belau Newspaper
March 15, 2012 -- April 18, 2013
http://palau-chess.blogspot.com
April 25, 2013 --November 14, 2016
The History of Chess in Palau
By Roberto Hernandez
June 09, 2002 -- November 14, 2016
No comments:
Post a Comment