(374) Jeff, Ksau & Joy Flores Whipps to Represent Palau in 2013 Guam Int'l. Open Chess Tilt

(This is not the featured photo)

GUAM BOUND, TOO

While Tito Cabunagan, left, playing against Menandro Manuel in the 2012 PNCC, Joy Flores Whipps at the back, and her son Ksau Anthony Whipps are biding their time while waiting. The mother and son duo will represent Palau together with Jeff Balbalosa, left - in this photo, in a world's chess open tournament in Guam. Paquito Suringa, Jr., 2nd from right, Tito and Menandro are members of Palau Chess Team to 2014 World Chess Olympiad in Norway.

(Photo by Roberto Hernandez)

JEFF, KSAU AND JOY FLORES WHIPPS TO REPRESENT PALAU

IN GUAM OPEN CHESS TILT

FOR THE first time in Palau chess history, 3 players will participate in the inaugural 2013 Guam World’s Chess Open to be held from Feb. 15-20, 2013 in Tumon, Guam.

The following is the letter of invitation from Leon R. Ryan, President of Guam Echecs (Island Chess, 2010, FIDE Zone 3.6):

January 14, 2013 Mr. Jeffrey D. Balbalosa / Mr. Ksau Anthony Whipps/ Ms. Joy Flores Whipps

c/o Roberto A. Hernandez Palau Chess Federation P. O. Box 1662 Koror, Republic of Palau 96940

Subject: Invitation 2013 Guam World’s Chess Open February 15 to 20, Tumon, Guam

Dear All,

This is an official invitation from the Guam Echecs, a FIDE member chess organization, to participate and represent Palau and the Palau Chess Federation to our next world’s open chess tournament.

We are very glad that you have already registered for the tournament and your hotel accommodation is already secured at the Capital Bay Hotel, which is only a walking distance to the competition venue, Bayview Hotel.

Several FIDE member countries were invited to send their players. Opening ceremony for our guests is already set on February 15, 2013, from six o’clock until midnight at the Kahida Ballroom of the Guam Plaza Hotel.

Accepting our invitation will be most cherished as your presence will bring significant community interest in promoting chess on the island.

I trust that this letter will help you facilitate obtaining a travel visa to Guam, a United States territory.

Very truly yours, Leon R. Ryan, President, Guam Echecs (Island Chess, 2010, FIDE Zone 3.6)

+1 (671) 788-1631 mobile +1 (671) 475-8587 work +1 (671) 637-4203 home

Confirmed participants are: International Master (IM) Jacek Stopa (Poland), FIDE Master (FM) Christopher Briscoe (England), FM Brian Jones (Australia- and 3 others below 2000), 5 from South Korea (2 below 2000 and 3 unrated), 3 from Palau (Jeff Balbalosa (1540), 2 unrated –woman Joy Flores Whipps and 11-year old Ksau Anthony Whipps, players from Philippines, Vietnam and Papua New Guinea have yet to be confirmed, 15 more local players from Guam (13 FIDE rated below 2000 several unrated, 1 or 2 women).

The same invitation was given to Mary Frances Lopez, which was signed by Mr. Leon Ryan. It’s dated Nov. 27, 2012 and addressed to Mary Frances Lopez c/o Roberto Hernandez Palau Chess Federation P. O. Box 1662 Koror, Republic of Palau 96940.

But Mary has gone for good to Philippines. She said to Hernandez during the 2012 PNCC that even if she’s in Philippines, she is still interested to be a member of Palau Women’s Team to Tromso, Norway in the 2014 World Chess Olympiad from August 01-14, 2014.







Source:
Chessmate by Roberto Hernandez
Tia Belau Newspaper
Pages 8-9
Volume 22
Issue 06
January 21, 2013

(373) ANOTHER NEW VENUE

VENUE OF 3 MAJOR TOURNAMENTS
The Conference Room of Palau Royal Resort has been the venue of 3 major chess tournaments -- the inaugural 2006 Palau Invitational Chess Championship, the 3rd PICC in 2011 and the recently concluded 2012 Palau National Chess Championship in which Jon Manuel Reyes, left, shakes hand with Miguel Hilario, Jr. during a Class B clash. Standing from left, Roberto Hernandez, Jeff Balbalosa and Baby Edna Mission. (Photo by Roberto Hernandez)







            ANOTHER NEW VENUE

ON ITS 11th week, the 2005 Regular Chess tournament fires off to its 3rd venue, the Privilege Family Store in Malakal.

Artemio Navarette, the manager, is now the new venue host after he and his wife and Joe Cayetano agreed to host the remaining rounds of the tilt.

The original sponsor, Palau Paradise Lions Club president Lourdes Funa will be sponsoring the trophies while the $50.00 cash for brilliancy prize will be shouldered by the club's officers and members.

After 9 weeks at Image Restaurant, it is finally relocated to a more convenient location for players especially Bong Alipoon who resides in the second floor of the building.

It might have been a home court advantage for him as he won 2 games in a row last Sunday, March 27 over newcomer Manuel Nedic and Mario Ramos.

Ramos also lost earlier to top seed Roberto Hernandez in 34 moves of Sicilian Defence. And in his final game of the day, he lost again to Lin de Guzman but won by default over 9-year-old Israeli boy Liam Bornovski.

Hernandez trounced de Guzman in 36 moves of French Defence in the last game of the day.

To update the games of players who don't show up for at least 3 weeks, the chairman started the defaulting procedures for them. It can be replayed if time permits and if their opponents agreed.

Bornovski, who is on a Spring break in Canada, now has a win-loss-draw record of 0-9-6 after losing by default to Alipoon (7-3-2), Jimmy Valenzuela (6-6-1), Morton Sawaichi (4-11-0), de Guzman (8-2-2), Nedic (6-4-2), Cyril Montel, Jr. (8-2-2) and Jose Omega (8-1-1).

He halved the point by default draw to Joel Azana (2-0-2), Ivan II Chess Computer (4-6-3), Chris Domingo (1-7-4), Mariano Agustin, Jr. (0-6-3), Eric Espartero (1-5-1) and Ronald Maomay (2-4-2).

Meanwhile, Domingo lost by default to Dennis Gonzales (6-4-1), Alipoon, Maomay, Montel, Jr., Marcial Rodriguez (3-4-1) and Omega. He drew by default draw with Azana, Agustin, Jr., Espartero, Bornovski and Ivan II.

2004 junior champion Em-R de Vera (2-4-2) lost by default to Gonzales and drew by default with Maomay and Ivan II.

More default losses will be implemented next Sunday if the following players will not inform the chairman through tel. no. 488-3694 that they will be absent: Tutii Joe Chilton, Espartero, Agustin, Jr., Azana, de Vera, Domingo, Bornovski, Gonzales and Rodriguez.


Chess legend Bobby Fischer arrived in Iceland on Thursday after spending 8 months of detention in Japan fighting a US deportation order.

The 62-year-old American was granted citizenship earlier this week. Iceland hosted the 1972 World Chess Championship between Fischer and Soviet champion Boris Spassky in the capital Reykjavik.

The US State Department seemed determine to continue trying to bring him to justice for violation sanctions against the former Yugoslavia by playing a chess match there in 1992.

Fischer vanished after the 1992 match, in which he defeated his old rival Spassky and pocketed $3 million. He resurfaced again after the Sept. 11 attacks in US in 2001, and, in a interview with Philippine sports radio program at DZSR where National Master Marlon Bernardino has a weekly chess radio show, Fischer praised the strikes and said he wanted to see America "wiped out".


Source:
Chessmate by Roberto Hernandez
Tia Belau Newspaper
April 01-07, 2005