The first ever tournament participated in by Elizabeth Manuel, 3rd from left, is against a GM! She made it to Palau Chess Team when Bangladesh national in Palau Mohammad Manik Hossain missed his once in a lifetime chance to play in an Olympiad. Elizabeth committed an illegal move against Al Sayed, whose rating is 2517. (Photo by Roberto Hernandez)
CHESS NEOPHYTE ELIZABETH
MANUEL AT 2012 W. C. O. IN
ISTANBUL, TURKEY
THE PALAU Chess Team to the 2012 World Chess Olympiad is supposed to be composed of Roberto Hernandez, Tito Cabunagan, Bernardo Garcia, Menandro Manuel and Mohammad Manik Hossain.
But Tito Cabunagan was the only technical person (mechanical engineer) that can assist a group of Japanese to check the 2 generators that Japan has donated to improve the power supply in Palau.
This opens the door for Elizabeth Manuel, the wife of Palau's most successful chess player Menandro, to be a reserved player. She's been to Palau many times to make her eligible but her experience is very little.
While in Manila working at Tourism Department of Philippine government, she works for Palau team to get Turkish visa with the members giving their cash money to pay for it, except Manik, who is still not permitted by his employer to go despite my letter requesting so.
After me, Bernard, Menandro and her got our Turkish visa, Elizabeth works on her and Menandro's Schengen visa so that they can travel to Italy and France after the Olympiad before coming back to Manila. Eventually, they were issued Schengen visa even without the personal appearance of Menandro. Unlike in 2014, the Palau Chess Team (Open and Women) has to go to Manila 2 weeks earlier to get their Schengen visa at Royal Norwegian Embassy.
The members also send money for round-trip ticket (Manila-Singapore-Istanbul) to acquire Turkish visa. Manik was finally allowed by his employer to go but with 2 weeks before the departure of the team, it's too late for him so it will be me at Board 1, Elizabeth (2), Bernard (3) and Menandro at Board 4 hoping to gain at least a CM title playing at the lowest board despite his 1924 rating to mine's 1875.
The 4-member Palau Chess Team check-in at Ninoy Aquino International Airport for a 11 hours stop-over in Singapore. While checking-in, I met my nephew Rommel Hernandez, who is also going to Singapore for all-expense paid job training. He works at Sony Corporation. We had some photos taken even at the waiting area. I haven't seen him in more or less 10 years.
During the check-in, I forgot to give the desk attendant my United Airlines Mileage No. RY685853, which prove to be crucial in me getting a lot of mileage for the Singapore-Istabul trip as it is a member of Star Alliance.
The long hours of waiting in Singapore is nothing compares to 11-hour trip to Singapore. I have finished 3 movies already and I am sitting with a Turkish who snores very loud that an American lady 5 meters away complained about the noise.
We met our Delegate Jan Berglund at Adela Hotel, where many teams esp. from Africa were also billeted. I left my gift items from organizers at the lobby. When I remember it and goes back to look for it, it's gone. Some African players are still sitting close to the spot where I left it.
At the Opening Ceremony, we were able to have photos with Hikaru Nakamura, Brian Jones, our team captain for 2nd time Australian Jamie Kenmure, who is also our Rating Officer, Gary Bekker, Dr. Virgilio de Asa of Fiji...
Our 1st round opponent is Qatar, who boasts 2 GMs in their lineup. I will be playing GM Mohamad Al-Modiahki while Elizabeth will be playing another GM Mohammed Al-Sayed.
Elizabeth's game against GM Al-Sayed produced the first illegal move in this Olympiad, when in the 13th move, her king is checked by a pawn. Instead of capturing the pawn with her king, she moved the bishop to e3. Al Sayed called the attention of the arbiter shaking his head. The arbiter asked me to explain to Elizabeth about the illegal move. I talk to her in English so that everybody will understand.
After she made the king capture, the arbiter deducted 2 minutes from her time. A move later, she resigned.
[Event "Istanbul ol (Men) 40th"] [Site "Istanbul"]
[Date "2012.08.28"] [Round "1.2"]
[White "Manuel, Elizabeth"] [Black "Al Sayed, Mohammed"]
[Result "0-1"][ECO "B50"][Black Elo "2517"][PlyCount "26"]
[EventDate "2012.08.28"] [EventType "team-swiss"]
[EventRounds "11"] [EventCountry "TUR"]
[Source "ChessBase"] [SourceDate "2012.11.13"]
[White Team "Palau"] [Black Team "Qatar"]
[White Team Country "PAL"] [Black Team Country "QAT"]
1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d3 Nf6 4. Bf4 Nc6 5. Nc3 g6 6. b3 Bg7 7. a3 O-O 8. g3 d5
9. h3 Nxe4 10. dxe4 Bxc3+ 11. Ke2 dxe4 12. Qc1 exf3+ 13. Kxf3 Qd5+ 0-1
At the bus, we are laughing while recalling the illegal move. Some Africans in the same bus are jealous of our happiness. I told them that we lost/swept by our opponent but we are very happy unlike those who won but not enjoying the moment.
I noticed that Elizabeth's games are short-lived. He lost against Iraq in 20 moves; against Maldives--mated on 15th; lost in 18 against Hong Kong; mated in 25th vs. US Virgin Islands and mated in 12 moves vs. Bermuda.
I gave her an idea to make her games longer. If she will make it till the 30th move, she can offer a draw and maybe her opponent will accept because she's a woman.
I told her to play 1. ... d6 even if her opponent opens up with 1. e4 or d4; proceed to play g6 and put the bishop at g7 and castles. That's a fort that's very hard to penetrate and just hang on till she reaches move 30 and offer a draw. We will be happy if she can score at least a draw in 11 games. We don't have reserve player so we have to play all 11 games.
While we are eating lunch, Elizabeth took notes of the strategy that I'm telling her. She wrote it on a piece of napkin. While playing against Macau in the 7th round, she followed my advice but when she don't remember the sequence, SHE IS LOOKING AT THAT PIECE OF PAPER AS IF SHE IS A HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT CHEATING AT THE EXAM!
Eventually, she lost but reached move 28th!
She's back again to her 'old' style and lost in 19 moves against Rwanda in Round 8 and in 25 moves against Guernsey.
Her best chance is against a Burundi team that has only 2 players. I won over Board 1 playing 1. a4 and Menandro at Board 4. Bernard, who gain a CM title by scoring 3.5 points in his first 7 games, won and even if Elizabeth would lose her game, Palau will still score their match on 3-1. Elizabeth's opponent, Deo Ntagasigumwami, became my friend through FB since then. We meet again in Norway and Azerbaijan Olympiads.
Sources: Chess Mate by Roberto Hernandez
Tia Belau Newspaper
December 29, 2002 -- April 23, 2017
Chess and Music (Perfect Combination)
The Beginning of Chess in Palau
By Roberto Hernandez
Soon to be published as a book
Music and Me by Roberto Hernandez
Tia Belau Newspaper
March 15, 2012 -- April 18, 2013
http://palau-chess.blogspot.com
April 25, 2013 --April 23, 2017
The History of Chess in Palau
By Roberto Hernandez
June 09, 2002--April 23, 2017
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