(706) PALAU CHESS FEDERATION 2006 CALENDAR OF EVENTS

THE HIGHLIGHT OF PALAU CHESS FEDERATION 2006 CALENDAR OF EVENTS
   Roberto Hernandez, left, and Australian Gary Bekker, right, and President of Oceania Zonal, are the brainchild of the inaugural 2006 Palau Invitational Chess Championship where the top 6 Palau chess players gained their initial FIDE rating.
                                                                 (Photo by Roberto Hernandez) 



             PALAU CHESS FEDERATION
            2006 CALENDAR OF EVENTS

1. January 08 (Sunday) - February 12
     Resumption of the 2005-2006 Rapid Chess Tourney
     at Jean's Boutique premises. Sponsored by Helena
     Yoichi and Gene Pastrana.

2. March 05- May 29
    Palau National Chess Championship. 13-round Swiss 
    System. The Champion will become Palau first National
    Master. The venue is Palau Community College?
    SPONSORS -- Pinoy Express Remittance (Palau) c/o
                         Manny Kimpo  -- Trophies
                         William Blasquino -- Cash prizes

3. June 18 - August 13
     PALAU OPEN CHESS TOURNAMENT
     Venue and Sponsors -- To be announced later

4. August 31-September 04
    FIDE-rated PALAU INVITATIONAL CHESS CHAMPIONSHIP.
    10-player single round-robin. Two games a day will
    have to be played. 4 FIDE-rated players from Australia,
    New Zealand, Philippines or Fiji or Papua New Guinea
    will be invited. Venue -- Palau Royal Resort.
    Mr. Gary Bekker -- Sponsor of cash prizes:
                                  Champion -- $300.00
                                  2nd place --  $200.00
                                  3rd place --  $100.00
                      Palau top finisher -- $100.00

5. September 24 - December 18
    RAPID CHESS TOURNAMENT
    Time Control -- 30 minutes for each player to finish
                              the game.
    Blitz Chess tourney after the completion of regular
                              games. Registration -- $5.00

6. December 18
    Knights And Rooks Chess Club Christmas Party.
    Each player is asked to bring one dish.

7. December 18
    CHRISTMAS BLITZ CHESS FESTIVAL
    10-minute time control.
    Registration fee -- $5.00
    The champion will keep half of the cash collected.
    The other half will be spent on drinks.

8. December 26, 2006 - January 08, 2007
    CHRISTMAS BREAK RAPID CHESS TOURNAMENT FOR 
                                PALAUAN KIDS
    Double Round-Robin if the contestants reach 6 players.
    Single round-robin if there are 10 contestants.
    Registration fee -- $10.00
    Time controL -- 30 minutes for each player to finish
                               the game.


Source: History of Chess In Palau
            By Roberto Hernandez
            January 2006
      
              

(403) KRCC CHRISTMAS PARTY DEC. 18

FIRST TROPHY IN 2 TRIES
Manny Nedic, right, receives his 3rd runner-up trophy from Knights and Rooks Chess Club Chairman Roberto Hernandez. Nedic won his first-ever trophy in his 2nd try. He is currently in 4th place at the 2005 Rapid Chess tournament with a 12-2-0 win-loss-draw record and the only player to have beaten current leader Menandro Manuel.
(Photo by Roberto Hernandez)

THE OFFICERS and members of Knights and Rooks Chess Club held another meeting Sunday, December 11 after the completion of all games in the 8th week of the 2005 Rapid Chess Tournament sponsored by Helena Yoichi and Gene Pastrana of Jean's Boutique.

They agreed to have a Christmas party on December 18 at 12:00 noon. Members were assigned a dish or two for the event that will also hold selected regular games and blitz chess festival later in the afternoon.

Roberto Hernandez will prepare tilapia fish and rice; Cyril Montel, Jr. -- lumpia shanghai; Dennis Gonzales -- pancit; Manny Nedic -- one big fish; Bong Alipoon -- assorted fruits; Menandro Manuel --fish kilawin; William Blasquino -- roast pig's head (2); and Pastrana -- one case of soda. $5.00 each will be collected for additional drinks.

Other players and members will be informed through this column and telephone calls.

A separate 12-under category was started when the required 4-player minimum registered. They are Jielton Cabierte, Zyron Singson, John Farinas and Ken Pastrana, the youngest son of Gene, who is now leading the division by winning over Singson and Cabierte.

He drew his 2nd game with Singson via 3-move repetition.

Farinas and Singson split their match (1-1) in the double round-robin format. The division also include Ivan II Chess Computer in its easy level.

Another division (16-under) will also be organized if former kiddie champion Em-R de Vera, 15, can get another 3 junior players to join.
He already played 5 games in the senior division, winning 2 and losing the first three.

RESULTS OF THE 8TH WEEK: (12 TOTAL GAMES PLAYED)
Pastrana drew with Hernandez in 61 moves of a bishop-of-the-same-color endgame; de Vera swept Francis 'Sno' Temaungil; 3 more sweeps followed as Ivan II Chess Computer drubbed Gonzales; Alipoon trounced Pastrana and Nedic dealt Gonzales his 2nd sweep of the day.
Nedic collected another point over Blasquino to dislodge Pastrana at 4th spot; Blasquino defeated Temaungil but lost to Alipoon in the last game of the day.

A young Chinese national would like to join the field on Sunday. He had to play as many games as he could to catch up.

The Chinese women's team won the World Chess Olympiad last year in Spain.


Solution to last week's puzzle: 1. ... Qxh2+! 2. Kxh2 hxg3+ 3. Kg2 Rh2 mate.

Source: Chessmate by Roberto Hernandez
Tia Belau Newspaper
Volume XIV
Issue 50
December 16-23, 2005

(395) A LITTLE LEAGUE OF THEIR OWN

A LITTLE LEAGUE OF THEIR OWN

THREE young boys showed interest in participating in the ongoing 2005 Rapid Chess Tournament sponsored by Helena Yoichi and Gene Pastrana of Jean's Boutique.

Jielton Cabierte, 8, Xyron Songson, 10, and Ken Pastrana, 8, and the youngest son of Gene, has requested the Knights and Rooks Chess Club Chairman Roberto Hernandez to have their own age group chess tournament since all of them are just learning the game.

Hernandez assured the boys that a 10 years and under tournament would be established if there are at least 4 participants, and Ivan II Chess Computer would act as the 5th contestant.

The tournament for the 10 years and under division will be a triple round-robin and Hernandez will put up the money for the first place and 2nd place trophies.

Nirblush Tmechtul showed in interest in taking the 4th spot, but maybe unable to attend. That would allow an opening for a beginner player(s) to enter the 10 years and under league.

The tournament will be held at Jean's Boutique on Sunday, November 13, 2005.

Invitation has also been extended to the Palau community to participate in the senior division, which has 7 new members participating in the rapid chess double-round robin tournament.

The league now has 23 players and each of them has played at least 44 games against participants with varying strategies and skill levels.

In the past weeks, newcomer Jess Gomez ended the 7-game winning streak of 2-time champion Menandro Manuel in an endgame of king and knight against his king, knight and a pawn.

This did not stop Manuel from extending his overall lead to 3.5 points advantage.

Top seed and defending champion Jose Omega clobbered Rogelio Menor in their Sicilian Defence game.

Cyril Montel, Jr. scored 2 easy victories over Menor and Flavin Andres. Jimmy Valenzuela swept Gene Pastrana and Menor and moved into the 9th spot after beating after beating both James dela Cruz and Em-R de Vera.

Menor, however, lost his match to Jerry Sermeno. Manny Nedic is now is 8th spot with his 4th straight wins.



Solution to last week's puzzle: 1. Bc6 and any move by black will lead to mate in 2.
This week's puzzle: Black to move and mates in 3
(Solution next issue)

Solutions: *Puzzles studied by Flavin Andres and Roberto Hernandez.

Source: Chessmate by Roberto Hernandez
Tia Belau Newspaper
Volume XIV
Issue 45
November 11-18, 2005

(274) Rapid Chess Tilt Starts With a Bang! (Temaungil elected PCF Chairman)

RAPID CHESS TILT STARTS WITH A BANG
(Temaungil Elected PCF Chairman)

TWENTY matches were played at the opening round of 2005 Rapid Chess tournament held on Sunday, October 23 at the premises at Jean's Boutique and sponsored by its owner Helena Yoichi and its manager Gene Pastrana.

Four newcomers tested their mettle with fellow newcomers and lowly rated players.

The newcomers are Francis 'Sno' Temaungil, John Pastrana, 29, (oldest son of Gene), Flavin Andres and Felix Lapitan, who is now the surprise leader with 3 straight victories over Temaungil and James dela Cruz (2 games).

Andres managed to get a whole point out of 8 games over the younger Pastrana. He lost 2 games each to Temaungil and Tutii Joe Chilton.

He also bowed to Jimmy Valenzuela, Morton Sawaichi and dela Cruz in the last game of the day.

Comeback kid Gerry Sermeno played only one game and outwitted dela Cruz.

Fifth seed Roberto Hernandez trounced Sawaichi in 50 moves of Dutch Defence and Cyril Montel, Jr. halved the point with Valenzuela in a book-line rook endgame.

Two-time champ Menandro Manuel is in solo 2nd spot after clobbering the older Pastrana and dela Cruz.

Lapitan, who works at Palau Royal Resort, seemed to be the strongest player among the newcomers but Andres is the one willing to learn as many as he could and has a different strategy to the game.

Lapitan was a regular observer of the 2005 Open Chess tourney held at Privelege Store in Malakal where only one game was played in the opening round (Sawaichi vs. Chilton, which eventually became the winner of brilliancy prize).

Two other newcomers have registered. They are Noel Morin and Rogelio Menor, who paid his registration fee of $15.00 but didn't play a single game. He will play at least 3 games next Sunday.

Top seed and defending champion Jose Omega and Manuel Nedic showed up but didn't play because they are busy.

Second seed Bong Alipoon is still on vacation. Dennis Gonzales also didn't show up but he called the Chairman last week about the willingness of the manager of Pinoy Express Remittance (Manny Kimpo) to donate financial contribution for Palau's membership fee of $476.00 to World Chess Federation (FIDE).

In a snap election held during the games, Temaungil was elected as the new Palau Chess Federation Chairman.

Sawaichi will be the Vice Chairman and Hernandez as Secretary/Treasurer.

Chilton refused to be an official as he is busy with other positions. Temaungil seemed to be reluctant about the nomination but when he heard the support of everybody, he gratefully accepted the position.

He is the oldest competitor in the tournament and his election will solidify his inclusion into the 6-man team that will represent Palau in the 2006 World Chess Olympiad in Turin, Italy.

Chilton will work on how PCF could become an affiliate of Palau National Olympic Committe.

PCF is a non-profit federation and Knights and Rooks Chess Club will become under the PCF.


Source: Chessmate by Roberto Hernandez
Tia Belau Newspaper
Volume XIV
Issue 43
October 28-November 04, 2005

(122) THE RETURN OF THE 'COMEBACKS'

THE RETURN OF THE "COMEBACKS"

ALL IS set for the opening of the 2005 Rapid Chess tournament, the last tourney of the year to be held this Sunday, October 23 at Jean's Boutique premises just across Maris Stella School.

Sonsored by Helena Yoichi, the owner of this boutique and its manager Most Improved Player honoree Gene Pastrana, the event will feature the comeback of at least five players: 2-time champion Menandro Manuel, Lin de Guzman, former champ Jess Toldoya, Gerry Sermeno and Jimboy de Jesus, the 2nd runner-up in the 2004 Rapid Chess tilt.

De Jesus trophy has not yet been given as the maker, Tutii Joe Chilton, had only finished the trophy of the junior champion Em-R de Vera. The other unfinished trophies are for eventual champion Eddie Grefiel, 2nd runner-up Roberto Hernandez, 3rd runner-up Manuel and 4th runner-up Cyril Montel, Jr.

Junior division's 1st runner-up Christopher Domingo is the receiver of the 7th trophy that needs to be given.

The Filipino Community in Palau (TFCP) sponsored last year's Rapid Chess tourney. Its president, Boie Aguas asked Hernandez early this year to look for trophy maker. He pledged $50.00 of his own money for the trophies.

Chilton pledged that $50.00 to be added to the financial obligation of Palau as membership fee ($476.00) so that Palau chess players can now participate in the World Chess Olympiad in Turin, Italy next year. Australian Gary Bekker donated $100.00 for the campaign.

De Jesus will start with his old rating of 1889 and will be the 13th seed while Sermeno will be at the bottom of the standings with his old rating of 1583.

A newcomer, Francis 'Sno' Temaungil will be given a special time control because he is just a beginner with the game. Rapid chess time control is 30 minutes for each player to finish the game. Temaungil will be given an extra 30 minutes. Other newcomers who would like to join will be given the same extra minutes.

Sno is currently undergoing serious chess training with Hernandez to try to make it as reserve in the 6-man team in the 2006 World Chess Olympiad. Morton Sawaichi has already been chosen as one of the reserve as Chilton is not sure because of earlier commitment.

The trophies and certificates of appreciation will be awarded before the start of the first and second round of Rapid Chess tilt. Pastrana will receive his MIP trophy while Manny Nedic will get his first-ever trophy, the 3rd runner-up.

Bong Alipoon, the 1st runner-up, has come back from vacation. He will also receive his trophy.

HERNANDEZ, ALIPOON AND JIMMY VALENZUELA ARE THE ONLY THREE PLAYERS WHO PARTICIPATED IN ALL PREVIOUS TEN TOURNAMENTS HELD IN PALAU.


Source: Chessmate by Roberto Hernandez
               Tia Belau Newspaper 
               Volume XIV 
               Issue 42 
              October 21-28, 2005