(846) BENEFITS OF CHESS FOR YOUTH (Published onTBN-Feb. 02-09, 2009) TBN-Dec. 22, 2014

MEETING WITH TOP M.O.E. OFFICIALS

                  M.O.E Minister Silton Soalabai, middle standing, accommodated a meeting with Palau Chess Federation officers Eric Ksau Surangel Whipps, 2^nd from right, Tito Cabunagan, right, and Roberto Hernandez, 2^nd from left, with other top ranking officials of M. O. E. The first meeting of PCF and M.O.E officials was held in April this year.        (Photo by Roberto Hernandez)


    BENEFITS OF CHESS FOR YOUTH
                                     (Published at TBN Feb. 02-08, 2009)

Palau Chess Federation’s top 3 officers –President Eric Ksau Surangel Whipps, Vice President Tito Cabunagan and Secretary Roberto Hernandez, had a meeting with the top 5 officers of Palau Ministry of Education on Dec. 16, 2014 regarding the inclusion of chess as part of PE curriculum.

The short but very fruitful meeting might be the start of another breakthrough to make chess popular also in Palau like in the other 181-member countries of World Chess Federation (FIDE).

In this regard, Roberto is reprinting the February 02-08, 2009 issue of Tia Belau as follows:

               BENEFITS OF CHESS FOR YOUTH

JAMES Infiesto is a National Arbiter in the Philippines and one of the invited players in the 2nd Ambassador Marino Cup (Palau Invitational Chess Championship). He didn't make it but still continues his sharing of knowledge to Roberto Hernandez through emails.
THE FOLLOWING IS HIS INFORMATIVE EMAIL:
     National Chess Federation of the Philippines President Prospero 'Butch' Pichay, Jr. hailed the move of Education Secretary Jesli Lapus to finally integrate chess in the grade school and high school curriculum starting this coming school year.
     This will be a golden opportunity to develop new talents like 15-year-old prodigy Grandmaster Wesley So and catapult Philippines in world chess supremacy.
      Please see below facts helpful on why I kept on campaigning that chess is a learning tool for Science, Math, Arts and subjects that deal with logical reasoning.
     Facts:
     In a Texas study, regular (non-honors) elementary students who participated in a school chess club showed twice the improvement on non-chess players in Reading and Mathematics between 3rd and 5th grades on the Texas Assessment of Academic Skills. 
    A New Brunswick, Canada study, using 437 fifth graders split into 3 groups, experimenting with the addition of chess to the math curriculum, found increased gain in math problem-solving and comprehension proportionate to the amount of chess in the curriculum.
    The Venezuela "Learning To Think Project", which trained 100,000 teachers to teach thinking skills, and which involved a sample of 4,266 2nd grade students, reached a general conclusion that chess, methodically taught, is an incentive system sufficient to accelerate the increase IQ in elementary age children of both sexes at all socio-economic levels.
     Chess is found as required curricula in nearly 30 countries.
    The mathematics curriculum in New Brunswick, Canada is a text series called "Challenging Mathematics" which uses chess to teach logic from grades 2 to 7.
     Using this curriculum, the average problem-solving score of pupils in the province increased from 62% to 81%.
    The province of Quebec, where the program was first introduced, has the best math marks in Canada and Canada scores better than the USA on international mathematics exam.
     Former U. S. Secretary of Education Terrell Bell encourages knowledge of chess as a way to develop a preschooler's intellect and academic readiness.
     The state of New Jersey passed a bill legitimizing chess as a unit of instruction within the elementary school curriculum.
     A quote from the bill states "In countries where chess is offered widely in schools, students have exhibit excellence in the ability to recognize complex patterns and consequently excel in math and science..."
    I am happy that Chess has been finally recognized in the Philippines as a tool to equip the youth, making the right decisions in life by enhancing their logical thinking.
     This pave the way also for employment of chess players who can never let go of wood pushing because of the love of the sport. 
    At the end of the day, as parents, we ask ourselves what will be the benefits of the sport our children are into. 
     Career wise, chess is one of the basic foundations of my creative thinking in my magic presentations.
    Anticipate the reactions of your audience, just like playing chess, anticipate and analyze the moves of your opponent.
     Hope you can accommodate.           James

Mr. James Infiesto is now an International Arbiter and performed magic during the 2013 World Youth Chess Championship in Abu Dhabi, UAE. He met there the 2 reps of Palau --Eric and Ksau Anthony Whipps.
Solution to last week’s puzzle No. 3759: 1. Qxd7+!! Rxd7 2. Nc7+ Rxc7 3. Rd8 mate.
This week’s puzzle No. 3760: White to move and mates in 3 (Solution next issue)

Source: Chessmate by Roberto Hernandez
             Tia Belau Newspaper
             Page 10
             Volume 23
             Issue 102
             December 22, 2014 

(681) MICRONESIAN OPEN OR INVITATIONAL? (TBN-Jan. 20, 2014)

TALLEST BUILDING IN THE WORLD (ABU DHABI, UAE)
     Eric Ksau Surangel Whipps, right, and his son Ksau Anthony have a "selfpi" while at the tallest building in the world. The Guinness Book of World Records measured it on Jan. 04, 2010 at 828 meters or 2,716.5 feet. They participated in the 2003 World Youth Chess Championship in Al Ain, United Arab Emirates on Dec. 17-29, 2013. Palau, Solomon Islands and Timor are the 3 first timers in this event. (Photo by Eric Ksau Surangel Whipps)


           MICRONESIAN OPEN 
            OR INVITATIONAL?
  

                 THERE'S an ongoing conflict of proceeding with the Micronesian Open Chess Tournament even with a very limited number of participants and after it, the 4^th Palau Invitational Chess Championship will follow. The Open will be Swiss System while the PICC will be single round-robin of 10 players (4 invited and 6 locals).

                The Micronesian Open was offered to Roberto Hernandez many months ago by Oceania Chess Confederation President Brian Jones of Australia because Guam refused to host it as they are preparing to participate for the first time in 2014 World Chess Olympiad in Tromso, Norway to be held on Aug. 01-14, 2014.

                The PICC was slated to be held in Nov. 27-Dec. 03, 2013 but because of Typhoon Haiyan, it was postponed to Feb. 20-25, 2014, a date suggested by Mr. Jones so that he can participate also. He and his wife Margaret was booked by Roberto at Palau Royal Resort for 7 nights (Feb. 19-25, 2014) for local net rate of $170.00/night including breakfast. We’d like to thank Mr. Shinichi Arakawa, Rooms Director of PRR, for giving this rate.

                The conflict begun when Mr. Ignatius Leong, the General Secretary of World Chess Federation (FIDE) offered to send 4 players from Philippines, Malaysia and Singapore at his own expense for the PICC so that the invited players from Kenya, Namibia, India and England don’t have to spend so much for airfare.

                He suggests cancelling the Micronesian Cup, and to proceed only with the PICC, in which the invited players are not expecting cash prizes, only token medals, souvenir items or small storyboards.

                The main problem of holding both events is the local players’ schedule. They come to Palau to work and playing chess is only for leisure. It’s very hectic for them to play 9 games in 6 days (9-12am and 3-7pm). Mr. Leong’s suggestion is to have the PICC only on Feb. 20 (arrival)-28(departure), play one game a day (evening) and 2 games on Sat. and Sunday.

                When Mr. Leong was reminded about the chess equipment that FIDE is supposed to send to Palau, Roberto mentioned the number of schools in Palau –Kindergarten (5) Ages 0-5; Primary (23) Ages 5-11; Secondary (3) Ages 11-14 and College (1) Ages 14-16.

                Immediately, Mr. Leong arranged to send 500 chess sets and 100 chess clocks for Palau to be used in teaching chess at schools.

                Roberto contacted the new President of PCF Eric Ksau Surangel Whipps about the volume of the shipment. Eric said there might be a problem with the customs because of the large volume. They might think that PCF will sell it for profit.

                It happened in 2006 when FIDE sent 100 chess sets and 20 chess clocks to Palau through Roberto’s P. O. Box address of 1501. Only 20 chess clocks and 4 chess sets arrived through airmail. The other 96 chess sets were sent through Mumbai, India by ship because it weighs 50 kilos.

                There was a problem with the shipment and the 96 chess sets were stocked in the warehouse for so long that it will cost more to pay the storage fee than the price of the chess sets itself.

                Roberto suggested to Mr. Leong to put a sign like the one they put in the 2006 shipment:

“FOR CUSTOMS PURPOSES: These chess supplies are a gift by the International Chess Federation FIDE under the CACDEC program (for developing nations). THEY SHOULD NOT BE TAXED. These goods have been prepaid and are absolutely FREE OF CHARGE.”

                Casto ‘Toti’ Abundo, the Deputy President of Asian Chess Federation, and Geoffrey Borg, FIDE Vice President, have contacted Roberto on Sunday, Jan. 12, for a meeting with Palau’s chess officials. Mr. Borg asked Roberto to book 2 rooms for them at PRR from Jan. 21-24, 2014. Mr. Arakawa agreed again for the same local net rate of $170.00/night.
                (Mr. Abundo and Mr. Borg text Roberto on Jan. 21 that their flight from Manila to Palau will be an hour late and to please advise them of the name of the hotel and they will just take a taxi so not to disturb Roberto, who is planning to fetch them at the airport. Minutes later, the flight was cancelled due to typhoon. Roberto cancelled their reservation but after an hour, Mr. Abundo text that they will arrive in Palau at 03:00 hours on Jan. 23 via Asiana Airlines flight 609 from Seoul.)                            Their 4-night stay will now be 2 nights and because there is no available taxi at the airport at 3am, Palau Chess Federation President Eric Ksau Surangel Whipps and Roberto will be at the airport to drop them at PRR.

                Mr. Leong also asked Roberto to get the costs of 2 rooms (twin-sharing) for his 4 sponsored players to stay at PRR for 7 nights. He will be paying also the $800.00 membership fee of Palau to Asian Chess Federation for the year 2007-2014.

                WHY ARE THESE HIGH-RANKING FIDE OFFICIALS EAGER TO HELP/ASSIST PALAU IN ITS EVENTS AND FINANCIAL OBLIGATIONS?

                The 2014 World Chess Olympiad in Norway is also the site of FIDE Election of President, Vice Presidents and General Secretary. Incumbent Kirzan Ilyumzhinov and former world chess champion Gary Kasparov will fight it out for FIDE presidency.

                Mr. Leong has shifted to Kasparov’s camp and the General Secretary position of Kirzan’s camp will be contested this time by Mr. Abundo and Mr. Leong.

                JUST LIKE ANYWHERE ELSE, CANDIDATES/POLITICIANS ARE NICE DURING ELECTION YEAR.

Solution to last week’s puzzle: 1. Qxf7+!! Nxf7 2. Bxf7+ Kd8 3. Ne6 mate.

This week’s puzzle: White to move and mates in 3 (Solution next issue)

Source: Chessmate by Roberto Hernandez
             Tia Belau Newspaper
             Pages 9 & 11
             Volume 23
             Issue 06
             January 20, 2014

(673) 2013 WORLD YOUTH CHESS CHAMPIONSHIP (Report & Photos by Eric Ksau Whipps)

     2013 World Youth Chess Championships

                                                               By Eric Ksau Whipps

December 18, 2013 · · Taken at Al-Ain, Abu Dhabi, UAE

The UAE Chess Federation and Al Ain Chess Club, under the auspices of FIDE, invited all FIDE member federations to participate in the World Youth Chess Championships (WYCC) 2013 (Under 8, 10,12, 14, 16 and 18 years old – open and girls) scheduled December 17 -29, 2013 in Al Ain, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. Over 4,000 people from 121 countries have come to the United Arab Emirates University for the 10-day tournament where nearly 1,900 participants will compete in this chess tournament for youth. The tournament was officially recognized by FIDE in 1977 as World Championships for Cadets for players under 17 and has been called World Youth Chess Championship since 1997, a category for under 8 player has been added in 2006. The year's tournament features the largest number of participants as well as countries since the tournament first started. It is also the first time Timor, Solomon Islands and Palau have sent their nationals to represent them in a FIDE World Chess event. More information can be found on the official event page at http://www.worldyouth2013.com/ or http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_Youth_Chess_Championship