: ADVERSARIES
IN PALAU, TEAMMATES IN BAKU
During
the first ever Lightning Chess Championship in Palau, Dennis Gonzales, left,
clash in mental combat with teammate in 2016 World Chess Olympiad top seed
Cyril Tomas Montel, Jr. Another member
Jeff Balbalosa, standing right, and Delegate Eric Ksau Surangel Whipps, partly
hidden, also participated in this event. The other members are Roberto
Hernandez, who took this photo, Tito Cabunagan and Paquito Suringa, Jr., who
both skipped this event. (Photo by Roberto Hernandez)
PCF 2016 CALENDAR OF EVENTS;
BLITZ CHESS CHAMPIONSHIP
ON VALENTINE'S DAY
LESS THAN a month after the first ever Lightning Chess
Championship in Palau (Jan. 18) and the 2016 Surangel Chess Masters Cup (Jan.
25), the Blitz Chess Championship will commence on Valentine’s Day (Feb. 14) at
Bethlehem Park.
The
time control is 5 minutes for each player to finish the game with 3 seconds
increment. Registration fee is only $5.00 for members and $10.00 for
non-members. There will be no cash prizes this time but only medals for the top
5 finishers.
It’s
a 9-round Swiss system event with each player to play 3 games every Sunday
afternoon starting at 2pm. This 3-week event will conclude on Feb. 28. After
the 9th round, the medals and certificates will be given to players
who paid their registration fee. The no pay no play policy will be
implemented. The committed players who paid their registration fees can still
catch up if they didn’t make it in the opening rounds but their games on those
rounds will be forfeited to their opponents.
The
next tourney, which the Rapid Chess Championship, will start on March 20 and
will concluded on April 17. The same amount of registration fee and medals will
be given to the top 5 finishers in this 20-minute for each player to finish the
game with 10 seconds increment format. Each player will have to play 2 games every
Sunday in another 9-round Swiss system event. On the final day, April 17, only
one round, the 9th, will be played and the awarding will conclude
the event.
The
2016 World Chess Olympiad will be held in Baku, Azerbaijan on Sept. 17-30.
Palau will send only a team in the Open (Men) Division. It was decided that a
women’s team will be sent only during the Olympiad that has election of FIDE
president (2018 Batumi, Georgia and in the 2014 Tromso, Norway). The 2015 Palau
National Chess Championship is also the selection process of the 5 players and
a team captain for the Baku Olympiad.
Cyril
Tomas Montel, Jr. topped that event followed by Jeff Balbalosa, Tito Cabunagan,
Allan Alcid and Paquito ‘Pax’ Suringa, Jr. During a Board Meeting before
Christmas 2015, the top 5 finishers are required to confirm their participation
before December 31, 2015. It that meeting also, Roberto Hernandez was selected
to be the Team Captain as he finished 6th. Eric Ksau Surangel Whipps
will be the Delegate.
On
Dec. 30, 2015, Pax confirmed his participation through Roberto but no words yet
from Alcid, who took a vacation/business trip to Philippines and hasn’t
returned yet because his work permit is under processing. He was informed by
Roberto that he made it to the team and is now the No. 7 chess player of Palau
after finishing very strong against Palau’s best. About 2 weeks ago, he
informed Roberto through Facebook that his permit is already out and whenever
it is sent to him, he can go back to Palau.
In
another Board Meeting, it was decided that since Alcid didn’t confirm
personally to any Board Member, he will not make it to the team. Another reason
is a team member must have a work permit. With this new development, Dennis
Gonzales will be the Team Captain and Roberto will be Board 5 (Reserve), a
position he is longing to have in the 2012 Istanbul, Turkey and 2014 Tromso,
Norway World Chess Olympiads in trying to gain at least a Candidate Master Title
or a FIDE Master Title.
Instead,
he was the Board 1 in those 2 Olympiads to give chance to players like Menandro
Manuel, Bernardo Garcia, Balbalosa and Gonzales to gain CM titles. Only Garcia
gain a CM title in 2012 with Balbalosa and Angie Parrado coming short of CM
titles in 2014.
Macau’s
Board 1 player in 2012 Olympiad Hexilon dela Cruz Punongbayan gained a FIDE Master title
in Norway playing at Board 2. Joselito Marcos of Papua New Guniea gained his CM
title retroactively in 2002 Bled, Slovenia Olympiad playing at Board 4. His
teammate in 2010 Olympiad in Russia Rupert Jones gained his FIDE Master title
playing at Board 4 also. With this in mind, Menandro Manuel insisted to be the
Board 4 of Palau Chess Team to Turkey but failed as many other teams are also doing
the same strategy.
As
Marcos stated, the ‘points’ are on Board 3 and 4 so it is recommended in 2016
Olympiad that Cyril will be assigned at Board 4, Jeff at Board 3, Pax at Board
1, Tito at Board 2 and Roberto as Board 5 (Reserve). With this line-up, there
is a possibility that Palau might get 3 CM titles this year, or maybe the first
FIDE title of Palau. Cyril is the best shot to get the 2nd FIDE
title of Palau as he dominated the last 5 National Chess Championships in 4
different time formats.
CM
Garcia is leaving Palau for good while Tito was hospitalized lately and in
Philippines at this time. He missed the 2012 and 2014 Olympiads due to schedule
conflict. If this happens again, the next qualified player in the Top 10
division is eligible to be in the team –Angelo Salvadora or Manuel Mahor, Jr.
But like all other team members, every member must provide for himself at least
$3,000.00 for airfare in which half will be shouldered by PCF, who might get a
refund through Baku travel fund. Three months before the 2016 Olympiad, if a
member can’t produce $1,500.00, he will be replaced by the next available one.
Commitment is very important in this matter.
Two
weeks after coming back from 2016 World Chess Olympiad, the 2016 Palau National
Chess Championship will be held from Oct. 16 –Dec. 11. Another 9-round event
with a single round-robin format in the Top 10 Division and 9-round likewise
but Swiss system in the Women and Junior Divisions. There’s a possibility again
that these divisions will be integrated. Only one game has to be played every
week with a time control of 90 minutes to finish the game with 30 seconds
increment.
Solution
to last week’s puzzle No. 3822: 1. Ng6+! Hxg6 2. Rh1 Kg7 3. Rh7 mate. If 1.
…Kg7 2. Nxf8+ Kxf8 or Kh8 3. Rg8 mate.
This
week’s puzzle No. 3823: 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 07
February 01, 2016
The History of Chess in Palau
By Roberto Hernandez
June 09, 2002 -- February 01, 2016
Chess and Music (Perfect Combination)
The Beginning of Chess in Palau
By Roberto Hernandez
To be published as a book in the future
Music and Me
By Roberto Hernandez
Tia Belau Newspaper
March 15, 2012 -- April 2013
http://palau-chess.blogspot.com
April 2013 --February 01, 2016
