SPAIN IS NO. 15 IN THE WORLD CHESS WISE
5 years ago, Edgar Cayanan told me to play Spanish songs to the 5 European guests in front of piano. I have played all the Spanish songs in my repertoire and no applause from them. While paying their bill, I played Italian songs and they appreciated it and gave me $5.00 tip. Edgar, they’re Italians! In Aug. 20, 2017 at Breeze Bar of PRR, these Spaniards sing along with me while I’m playing Spanish music. Spain has 35 Grand Masters (GM) in the list of 100 top Spanish chess players and No. 15 in the world. (Photo by Roberto Hernandez)
TRAINING A CHESS TEAM TO
NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP
From his own experiences, CM Joselito Marcos confided to me his vast experiences as team captain/coach/trainer since 1990’s…
“The players that I trained then, if they win against me during our training, deep inside I’m happy because they are getting stronger and it gave me confidence that they will beat their opponents in the 1990 National Colleges and Universities Chess Team Championship. There they are --regional champs for 2 consecutive years. Then next time I have beaten them all in practice, they are the defending champion and we were swept in the first round 0-4. We lost from board 1 to 4! Some players even boasted that we’ve finished second place considering that the 1st round was a giveaway! Have they got 1 point, say 1-3 score, we would have been still the champ because there is only 1 point differential between them and the winning team that shut us out. Game point was the scoring system then and not match point as being use now since the 2008 World Chess Olympiad in Dresden, Germany.
I told them that I would be happier if they are beating me in training, which means that they can approximate their strength which I knew not the average strength of their future opponents. I even invite 2 or 3 strong guest players to practice with them during their training.
I have one player then that played in the first round vs. a guest player. When he won, he didn’t show up anymore during the training. He is good but his attitude is not okay. He defeated the purpose of the training that he has to play/train with his teammates. I was about to take him out from the team but he begged me not to do so. Still, at the regional tournament’s first 3 rounds, I didn’t field him in. He doesn’t know if I will ever let him play. Our team is still leading by 3.5 points with 4 rounds to go. I SHOWED HIM THAT EVEN WITHOUT HIM, WE WOULD STILL BE CHAMPION.
In round 4 I let him play. Our opponents complained because our board 1in the first 3 rounds is resting. According to the rules, board 2 will be board 1if the board 1 is resting. And so the other order of board players. All participants thought that he is our reserved player. They are shock when they look at the list of official lineup that he is our board 1 player. I heard the other team captains/coaches saying: it means they still ‘control’ or not in full force in the previous 3 rounds! It was a big psychological blow to them that after winning our 4th match in that round, the other teams were fighting it out for just the second place finish.
I knew that our Board 1 player would make up for his fault which he did. I also suspect him of assisting a team because he drew his match before because his opponent at board 1 then is his friend. So I did not select our board 1 player to play in the national SCUAA, instead I took another player from another school team to represent region 3.”
I have trained and coached winning Region 3 State Colleges and Universities team in the 1990 National SCUAA meet in Bacolod City; regional champions we are a number of times. No national meet in 1991. We could have a repeat in 1992 National SCUAA meet in Ilagan, Isabela had the top player at the time did not leave the team in the finals. That player went back to Cabanatuan to receive outstanding athlete award in recognition program. It’s ironic in the sense that he got that award because of being with the team. Too selfish a guy! To this day he does not know that I gave a game away to him in a training tournament so that he will not get discouraged as he was then taking a beating from his other teammates and a guest strong player I invited. He got it wrong thinking he bested me as he boasted about it. From then I gave him a drubbing that in every game we played thereafter I beat him.
Our games are included in Vol. 2 of my Chess Memoirs. I even taught him the importance of move order (correct move sequence) in the opening that he had used one variation where he got a slight advantage in the opening and he was able to carry it to a win in the endgame following my explanation how it should be continued. It was the game that won for us the Bacolod national team title!
“I have a very colorful chess experiences, my BFF! I haven’t even composed yet these experiences to my Chess Memoirs.
Very few people have realized/known the real me because for them I’m “too good to be true”.
Of course, I’m not perfect but that is something we can strive for. And he extracted a Bible verse: “Be you therefore be perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.” (Matthew 5:48). It means that “Perfection is something we can aim for.”
It’s in my Chess Memoirs the reason why I can’t attain my potential.
THAT’S WHY I CAN DISCERN A TALENT OR POTENTIAL OF UPCOMING PLAYERS OF HOW MUCH THEY CAN ACHIEVE.”
CM Marcos is also a very good playing coach of a basketball team in Papua New Guinea. At mid-50 in age, he still average 12 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists and 2 leg cramps per game! Many times they’ve been basketball champion in PNG. His approach to chess and basketball as team captain/coach/trainer is really unique.
HOW I WISH HE WILL BE PALAU’S HEAD OF DELEGATION AGAIN AND BE THE TEAM CAPTAIN WHEN I’M PLAYING IN 2018 WCO IN BATUMI, GEORGIA. He is very confident that Cyril and me will get at least a CM title each or better (FM title).
The format in the Qualifying Tourney is 60 minutes for each player to finish the game with 30 sec. increment starting from move 1. The writing of chess moves in Algebraic notation is compulsory. The registration fee is $10.00. Right after the conclusion of this event, the Top 12 Division, Women, Reserves and Junior Division will commence as early as Oct. 08, 2017.
The cross table of Top 12 Division can be available as early as this date so that the last 2 Sundays of December (24th-Christmas Eve) and 31st (New Year’s Eve) will be rest day and the 2017 PNCC has concluded. The drawing of Top 12 players’ numbers will be done early with the supposed numbers of the 4 qualifiers be Qualifier 1, 2, 3 and 4 that was done in the previous PNCC. Games can be played in any day, any time and any place agreed by both players.
Solution to last week’s puzzle No. 3762: 1. N7e6++ Ke8 2. Qf8+!! Nxf8 3. Ng7#
This week’s puzzle No. 3763: White to move and mates in 3 (Solution next issue)
Sources: Chess Mate by Roberto Hernandez
Tia Belau Newspaper
Pages 9-10
Volume 26
Issue 68
August 28, 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 -- August 28, 2017
The History of Chess in Palau
By Roberto Hernandez
June 09, 2002 -- August 28, 2017
Memoirs of a Chess Amateur
My Memorable Games and Compositions
By CM Joselito Marcos
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