Nobody was able to take photos of the ongoing meeting of Delegates of Oceania Chess Confederation during the 2016 Baku, Azerbaijan World Chess Olympiad. This selfie photo is a little blurred because when I bought a cellphone protector, the one who install it put the hole where the camera's lens, is partly covered.
(Photo by Roberto Hernandez)
AN INFORMAL MEETING OF O. C. C.
MEMBERS IN SEPT. 10, 2016
IN BAKU, AZERBAIJAN
Oceania
Chess Confederation President Paul Spiller of New Zealand arranged an informal
meeting of its members on Sept. 10, 2016 at 10am during the last 5 days of 2016
World Chess Olympiad in Baku, Azerbaijan and held in a meeting room of Fairmont
Hotel, where the Delegates and high ranking officials of World Chess Federation
were billeted.
The
Agenda of the Oceania Zone 3.6 Meeting is as follows:
1. Apologies
2. Introduction of Delegates
3. Report from Al-Ain Asian Federation Meeting by Paul.
4. Chess Development in Oceania – Federation surveys and
allocation of resources.
5. Upcoming tournaments – Oceania Youth Chess
Championship
2017
Oceania Zonal
2017 Asian Seniors Championship
6. Oceania Chess Confederation background and
incorporation
7. General Business
The
attendees are given a few minutes to introduce themselves with Shaun Press
stating that he was born in Papua New Guinea and the current president of
PNGCF; Calvin Prasad of Fiji is playing at Board 1 of Fiji team in this
Olympiad and the previous Olympiads; Roberto Hernandez introduced himself as the
one who pioneered chess in Palau in 2002, writing a chess column in Palau’s
first newspaper Tia Belau for 13 years, General Secretary of PCF, an NM and FIDE Instructor; Gary Westell of
Australia; Stuart Fancy , the vice president of PNGCF; Kevin Bonham of
Australia which I have mistakenly spelled his family name as Bohan; Roger Orio
of Guam and the current President of Guam Echecs after Leon Ryan retires. He
listed his number +64 274 595 176; President Paul Spiller of New Zealand as
well as Hilton Bennett, have both participated in the inaugural 2006 Palau
Invitational Chess Championship in Aug. 31-Sept. 05, 2006 that started the
chess boom in Palau; and the last one to come is Asian Chess Federation Deputy
President Casto ‘Toti’ Abundo, who visited Palau with FIDE C. E. O Geoffrey Borg
in January 2014.
The
issues that were tackled are the under 18 chess tournaments that IM, FM, and CM
titles can be achieved. In Americas, GM norms can be achieved even in U20
tournaments.
HERE
ARE SOME INTERESTING STATISTICS:
Titled Players – Australia (151); New Zealand (42); Fiji
(11); PNG (6); Guam and Palau (1 each);
Solomon Islands and Nauru (0)
Active Rated Players in 2015 – Aus (692), NZ (155), Palau
(48), Fiji (20), Guam (12), PNG (5),
Solomon Islands and Nauru (0)
Standard Open Tournaments in 2015 – Aus (48), NZ (11),
Fiji (2), Palau (1)
Rated Games – Aus (13,959), NZ (2,293), Palau (203), Fiji
(112), Guam (98)
No. of Games by Foreigners – Aus (1,488), NZ (444), Guam
(25)
No. of Games by Players Abroad – Aus (1,224), NZ (547),
Fiji (61), PNG (41), Palau (31), Guam (7)
According
to Toti, there are 51 countries in Asia. He also said that Congressman Prospero
‘Butch’ Pichay can’t travel outside Philippines because of charges against him
by Phil. Government.
THERE
ARE MORE WOMEN PLAYERS IN PALAU THAN IN NEW ZEALAND!
While the meeting is going on, the letter of Palau Rating
Officer Jamie Kenmure is being circulated that states: Dear Oceania Delegates,
in regards to the motion that Mr. Stuart Fancy from PNG is going to raise, I
would like to explain: In 2014 I was asked by Joselito Marcos, who then I
thought was the PNGCF President at the time, asked me to register 5 players for
him. I only thought this was for players to play in a competition as it is a
requirement for tournaments to have a FIDE I. D. I had no knowledge that he was
planning to send a team to the Olympiad with the players I registered. I had no
idea that I was doing anything wrong. Yours, Jamie Kenmure.
Before
the open forum starts, Toti left the meeting. Maybe he sensed something
controversial will happen even with the absence of Jamie and Joselito.
Stuart
Fancy is claiming that Joselito stole their right to vote and even called
Joselito a “criminal”. He didn’t know that Toti was the one who gave Joselito
the signal “You won! You're the official PNG Delegate! Please get Schengen visa as soon as possible.”
Joselito got
Schengen visa and pay for it as well as the tickets in going to Tromso, Norway as the
official Delegate of PNG, with the right to vote for PNG in the election of
FIDE President.
When
Mr. Fancy mentioned about Joselito being a Head of Delegation of “another”
country, I explained to the meeting that it is the decision of the Palau Chess
Federation Board to hire him as Team Captain. Shaun Press, knowing the new rule
of FIDE that only qualified Trainers and Instructors (ST, FT, FI, NI, or DI)
can be a Team Captain, said it is not possible.
Stuart also asked if Joselito
is still in PNG. I said he is still there in the last 16 years (where it is
supposed to be 20 years—his sojourn in PNG is 1996). Stuart stays in Port
Moresby while Joselito is the Deputy Director – Academic
Department
of Education
Technical
Vocation Education and Training Division
The
National Polytechnic Institute of Papua New Guinea
P.
O. Box 4366, Lae
Morabe
Province 411
Lae,
for Stuart is not PNG. It seems that for him, only Port Moresby is the
‘recognized’ part of PNG. It’s like saying Darwin is not part of Australia.
Joselito
mentioned something to me, “I am now the acting Academic Director, which is not
possible if I’m not here in PNG.”
In his book "Memoirs of a Chess Amateur --My Memorable Games and Compositions" by Joselito Marcos, the "About The Author" page states:
"Joselito Marcos, a FIDE Candidate Master, (a title which
the World Chess Federation awarded him retroactively in 2012 for his
performance in the Bled Olympiad in 2002 where he scored the most number of
wins for the PNG team, 5 ½ out of 9 points—a total output that was just short
of one-half point for an outright FIDE Master title), was the lone certified
arbiter of the defunct Philippine Chess Federation in Central Luzon region in
his home country prior to his sojourn to Papua New Guinea in 1996. He is the
founding president of Nueva Ecija Woodpushers Society and of Nueva Ecija Chess
Arbiters Association, both in his home country.
He
is also an accomplished problemist having composed numerous chess problems that
were published both in local newspaper chess columns and in international chess
magazines such as Chess Life and Stratagems. He is the acknowledged chess
problem consultant of the Hong Kong
Standard, South China Morning Post, Manila Times, Philippine Star, Today and
Chess Plaza Weekender."
Then,
when I explain to them that our President, Eric Ksau Surangel Whipps, appointed
him as Head of Delegation and the last
words, “BUT HE SHOULD BUY HIS OWN TICKETS”, makes Stuart silent about that
topic from then on… “BUY YOUR OWN TICKETS”, is not in their vocabulary.
Marcos’ daughter Jemima studied Tourism at PNG’s
International School so when she applied as Tourism Teacher, PNG’s government
is very much willing to accept her. She is now in PNG while her father is
taking a 6-week Yuletide vacation. Jemima’s 3 kids will join her at PNG in the
near future. This shows how Joselito Marcos made PNG his second home. He tried
very hard to improve the chess development in PNG with his expertise but being
in Lae and not in Port Moresby hinders his chess development programs.
In the early rounds of 2016 World Chess Olympiad, we are riding in the same bus going to the venue. Stuart is in front of Joselito, then me and him ready to take our seat when Stuart started shoving Joselito, who retaliated by shoving, too and shouted, "Are you a bully?"
In the early rounds of 2016 World Chess Olympiad, we are riding in the same bus going to the venue. Stuart is in front of Joselito, then me and him ready to take our seat when Stuart started shoving Joselito, who retaliated by shoving, too and shouted, "Are you a bully?"
After the 2016 Baku Chess Olympiad, the Palau Chess Team
arrived at Ninoy Aquino International Airport. I don’t have a ride so I asked
Joselito that I will ride with him because Jemima, Nanette (Joselito’s wife)
and the 3 kids of Jemima, will pick us up at the airport.
When
we arrived at about 11pm, I heard 2 kids shouting “Big Daddy! Big Daddy!” It’s
Joselito’s grand kids, who are calling him “Big Daddy”. Joselito signed his soon
to be released book “Memoirs of a Chess Amateur—My Memorable Games and
Composition” and gave it to me at the airport with a short note: “To: My BFF
Robert, Here’s wishing that this book helps you progress in chess aside from
knowing me more. Sincerely (signed), Joselito Marcos (09/15/2016).”
Jemima
drove the car using its GPS to track the address of my daughter Karen in Tandang
Sora, Quezon City. While inside the car, I can see the closeness of the Marcos
family with the 3 English-speaking kids.
Sources: Chess Mate by Roberto Hernandez
Tia Belau Newspaper
December 29, 2002 -- December 12, 2016
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 -- December 12, 2016
Memoirs of a Chess Amateur
My Memorable Games and Composition
By CM Joselito Marcos
The History of Chess in Palau
By Roberto Hernandez
June 09, 2002 -- December 12, 2016
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