MARRIAGE EFFECT?
Many chess players including the highest
ever woman FIDE rated player Judit Polgar, somehow slowdown their progress when
getting married. This happens to Allan Alcid, middle, in his game against
Manuel Mahor, Jr., right, after his marriage to Aileen on Nov. 13, 2016. Alcid
blundered away his rook to lose for the first time. (Photo by Roberto Hernandez)
MAHOR DEALT ALCID HIS 1st LOSS
FOUR crucial games were played in the 2nd
round of the Top 10 Division of 2016 Palau National Chess Championship held on
Sunday, Nov. 20 at Bethlehem Park. The game between Paquito Suringa, Jr. and
Allan Alcid was played already in Oct. 19, 2016 (a draw).
My
opponent in the 2nd round is Tito Cabunagan, who pressed his clock
already and I am 8 minutes late after submitting the 717th issue of
Chess Mate at Tia Belau Newspaper’s office. My music colleague Ariel Vincoy
ride with me as he can’t get a taxi because it’s Sunday at that day.
After
taking photos of the 2nd round pairings, I replied with Tito’s 1. c4
with e5 – English Opening, in which Tito played passively on the 4th
and 8th move with Qc2 and Be3 respectively that allows me to seize
the initiative very early. The game could have ended in just 23 moves if I
found the more forceful queen capture and the knight forking the king, rook and
bishop. On the 6th move, Tito wrote already his move (a3) before
making a move, which is a violation. I complained about this violation to the
arbiter in our 11th and final round game against Anthony Drayton, Board
1 player of Guyana in 2014 WCO in Norway. The Arbiter said to him, “If you
erase your move, that’s cheating.”
Tito
did it again on the 15th move and in the 25th move, he
wrote already the Q (Queen) before making his 25th move (Qd1). I
remind him also that his 23rd move RxB is English, not
Algebraic—Rxg1.
Instead,
the game lasted 24 moves longer with me prevailing after 47 moves. Next to our
table is the top seed Cyril Tomas Montel, Jr.’s game vs. 4th seed
Jeff Balbalosa, which lasted the longest of the day with Cyril clinging to his
exchange advantage and when he sacrificed the rook for a pawn, Jeff resigned in
61st move after seeing the a pawn being promoted with the knight
unable to prevent it.
In
the other game, Rustum Cabuso scored his first win by drubbing Manuel ‘Jun’
Mahor, Jr. in 50 moves of another English Opening while Gonzalo Escapatoria,
Jr. and lone woman in the division Angelica Parrado-Sisior halved the point
after 38 moves of Dutch Defense.
Two
games were arranged to be played at Palau Royal Resort Dormitory 1 between
Mahor and Alcid and Parrado-Sisior vs. Suringa, Jr. I have prepared their chess
materials to be used but asked Alcid to borrow one clock from Jeff.
After
taking photos of them, I proceed to Waves Restaurant to play music from 7-9pm.
After setting the new keyboard at Breeze Bar for another 2 hours of keyboard
music, I check the games. Pax easily beat Angie while Allan and Jun are still
in the endgame with Jun having a rook and a king against Allan’s king and 2
pawns. Allan blundered away his rook on the 48th move and on the
brink of an inevitable mate on the 60th move when he resigned. Thus,
the 2016 PNCC is now more exciting with me, undefeated Cyril and almost
everybody else still has a chance to be champion, and an automatic
qualification to the 2018 World Chess Olympiad in Batumi, Georgia.
Another
special game was held at Jeff’s place on Fri. Nov. 25 against Alcid, who
solidify his hold of 1st place after nipping Jeff in 49 moves of yet
another English Opening.
CM
Joselito Marcos updated my Mega Database 2013 to the latest Mega Database 2016
during the 2016 World Chess Olympiad in Baku, Azerbaijan from Sept. 01-14,
2016. Although it took more than 2 hours to upload it, the waiting is worth it.
On his way to going back to his suite, we said goodbye and goodnight at the
door for 45 minutes!
We
are amazed at ourselves that we talked that long in saying goodbyes. Since I
first met Joselito in 2009 Oceania Zonal Chess Championship in Gold Coast
Australia, I found him very intelligent in any subject that we talked about
except music, the only field that I am more knowledgeable than him. More so if
the conversation is about chess. He suggested before the start of 2016 PNCC that
we hold this PNCC a ‘themed’ tournament. Meaning, using only one defense
(Sicilian) to all the games that will be played including the qualifying
because he noticed the little or lack of knowledge of many (about 95%), Palau chess players about chess opening.
I
used the Mega Database 2016 to research all variations of Sicilian Defense
since the year 1475 and found out that Sicilian Defense was used in 1,324,616
games out of 6,463,901 games recorded in Mega Database 2016! It’s really the
most popular defense in chess.
Solution
to last week’s puzzle No. 9 by Joselito Marcos: 1. Qa3 Kf5 2. Qa7 Qf4 3. Qf2#
If 2. …Ke6 3. Qd7# and if 2. …Kg6 3. Qh7#. (Published in Philippine Star –Aug.
1994)
This
week’s puzzle No. 10 by Joselito Marcos: White to move and mates in 3
($3.00 reward for each of the first 5 persons who can solve this puzzle)
Sources: Chess Mate by Roberto Hernandez
Tia Belau Newspaper
Pages 9-10
Volume 25
Issue 95
November 28, 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
Pages 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 28, 2016
The History of Chess in Palau
By Roberto Hernandez
June 09, 2002 -- November 28, 2016
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