(1312) HERNANDEZ DEALT CYRIL HIS FIRST LOSS (TBN-Dec. 12, 2016)

: PALAU’S TOP 3 IN ACTION

                  Palau’s No. 1 NM, NI Cyril Tomas Montel, Jr., right, lost to No. 2 NM, FI Roberto Hernandez, left, while No. 3 NM, NI Tito Cabunagan, 2^nd from right, was upset by No. 9 Gonzalo Escapatoria, Jr. in the resumption of 4^th round of play of the 2016 PNCC. Women No. 1 WNM, DI Angie Parrado-Sisior, 2^nd from left, and Cabunagan will represent Palau in 2017 Oceania Zonal Chess Championship in Auckland, New Zealand from Jan. 14-20.

                                                   (Photo by Roberto Hernandez)

  HERNANDEZ DEALT CYRIL HIS FIRST LOSS

MY round 4 match with top seed Cyril Tomas Montel, Jr. on Dec. 04 at Bethlehem Park was delayed for a few minutes when we were asked to move as there is a function at the place. We move to the Finance Building when we already made 4 moves and resumed it after all the chess boards, pieces and clocks were settled.

                Cyril is moving fast and ahead in time by 22 minutes until his 13^th move where he spent 21 minutes in avoiding the capture of pawns. He is still ahead by 19 minutes in the 18^th move and almost equal on the 22^nd move. When I recovered the pawn with a knight sacrifice on the 25^th move, I am now ahead in time by 4 minutes and material (a pawn and strong attack).

                Two blunders in a row by Cyril on move 31^st and 32^nd gained me an overwhelming advantage of rook, a bishop and a pawn for a total of 9 points. Facing with more material loss to thwart the mating attack, Cyril resigned on his 37^th move with a minute and 23 seconds remaining in his time in our King’s Indian Defense (Early deviations for White, including Smyslov system) clash.

                That loss boosted Allan Alcid’s chance to clinch his first PNCC title and an automatic National Master (NM) title. Another loss or a draw of Cyril would clinch Alcid’s spot to the 2018 Batumi, Georgia’s World Chess Olympiad.

 THE MOVES: Montel, Jr., Cyril Tomas (1845) - Hernandez, Roberto (1782) [E61] 2016 PNCC Top 10 Division (4), 04.12.2016

             1. d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.Bg5 0–0 5.Nf3 b6 6.e3 Bb7 7.Be2 h6 8.Bh4 d6 9.Qc2 Nbd7 10.0–0 a6 11.Rfd1 Re8 12.h3 e5 13.d5 g5 14.Bg3 Qe7 15.Bh2 g4 16.hxg4 Nxg4 17.Bg3 e4 18.Bh4 Bf6 19.Bxf6 Qxf6 20.Nxe4 Qg6 21.Bd3 Nde5 22.Nxe5 Nxe5 23.Ng3 Qg5 24.Qe2 Ng4 25.Bf5 Nxe3 26.fxe3 Rxe3 27.Qc2 Rxg3 28.Re1 Re3 29.Rf1 Rae8 30.Qd2 R8e5 31.Rae1 Rxe1 32.Bh7+ Kxh7 33.Qd3+ f5 34.Rxe1 Rxe1+ 35.Kf2 Re5 36.b3 Qf4+   0–1

            Beside us is the 3^rd seed Tito Cabunagan and 9^th seed Gonzalo ‘Jojo’ Escapatoria, Jr. encounter in which Tito blundered a rook on the 16^th move and all Jojo has to do is simplify the game for an easy win. Their game’s opening of 1. d4 d5: Unusual lines, only shows how Palau players are still unfamiliar with basic chess openings.

                4^th seed Jeff Balbalosa had an equal record of 2 wins and 2 losses after subduing 10^th seed Manuel ‘Jun’ Mahor, Jr. in 50 moves of English Opening.

                Cabunagan and Angelica Parrado-Sisior are the representatives of Palau to the 2017 Oceania Zonal Chess Championship to be held in Auckland, New Zealand from Jan. 14-20, 2017. Angie is requesting the 4 players that she haven’t played yet (Jeff, Jun, Tito and Rustum Cabuso) to set a game, even on Christmas day, so that she can play all her games ahead of schedule to prepare for OZCC. She prefers those games to be played at Dormitory 1 of Palau Royal Resort.

                The World Chess Championship between defending champ Magnus Carlsen of Norway and his challenger from Russia Sergey Karjakin was held in New York and ended even after 12 games. Their first 7 games were all drawn with Karjakin, playing the Black pieces, drawing first blood in the 8^th game with a ‘deflection’ sacrifice (a chess term that I heard for the first time from CM Joselito Marcos) of a pawn to put Carlsen’s queen out of action and no chance to draw by perpetual check. Carlsen resigns right away, seeing the knight check of Karjakin to be followed by Qg1 which threatens an inevitable mate.

                The 9^th game is another draw but Carlsen equalized in the 10^th game with a marathon win and the game is tied again with 2 games to go, which are also drawn games. I thought that Carlsen retains the title in case of 6/6 score. That was before. Tiebreak is now being used even at World Chess Championship and World Chess Cup.

                The first tiebreak is a 4-game series with a time control of 25 minutes + 10 seconds increment also known as Rapid. If they are still tied after 4 games, the Blitz tiebreaker will be used (5 min. + 3 sec.). The first game is another draw, with Carlsen winning the 2^nd game, followed by another draw in the 3^rd game and Carlsen won the 4^th game for a commanding 3-1 victory and thus retaining his title for the 3^rd time (2 from Viswanathan Anand previously in 2012 and 2014).

                Solution to last week’s puzzle No. 12 by CM Joselito Marcos: 1. Nc3! Kc5 2. 0-0-0 Kc4 3. Kc2 Kc5

4. Kd3 Kd6 5. Kc4# Published in Philippine Star, Philippines-- Jan. 15, 1994

                This week’s puzzle No. 1: 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 99

              December 12, 2016

              Music and Me by Roberto Hernandez

              Tia Belau Newspaper

              March 15, 2012 -- April 18, 2013

              http://palau-chess.blogspot.com

              April 25, 2013 -- December 12, 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 Memorable Games and Compositions

              By CM Joselito Marcos

              Page 429

              The History of Chess in Palau

              By Roberto Hernandez

              June 09, 2002 -- December 12, 2016