(173) BATTLE OF THE BRAINS

BATTLE OF THE BRAINS
By NAZARIO RODRIGUEZ, JR.

Horizon News Staff

CHESS, although not flexing your muscles, is considered a sport. In fact, it's one of the world's most popular sports that it has its own Olympic Games.

All you need is patience and a lot of brains. It is the battle of the minds. It is a game of ancient origin that Palau can adopt as a way of putting itself into the world map. If plans will push through, Palau can compete in the Chess Olympiad in the near future.

The Chess Olympiad is held every two years. The next tournament is scheduled in October this year.There are a total of 161 member-countries now with the International Chess Federation or FIDE, the world's governing body of the sport.

Since last year, Palau is knocking at the doorstep of FIDE through the efforts of Knights and Rooks Chess Club, which is now chaired by Flavin Andres.

The club is a brainchild of Roberto Hernandez, who was elected as its first chairman since its formal establishment in September 15, 2002.

Just recently, the Palau Chess Federation was created because it is one of the requirements for membership in FIDE.

But before that, the PCF must first seek membership with the Palau National Olympic Committee.

"We're now readying some requirements for membership in the PNOC like our by-laws and financial report." said Hernandez, who is the Secretary/Treasurer.

Francis 'Sno' Temaungil is the PCF chairman, Morton Sawaichi (Vice Chairman) and Tutii Joe Chilton (PRO), all three are regular competitors on the tournament held every Sunday at Jean's Boutique and Store, just across Sacred Heart Catholic Church.

"We're really ready for FIDE membership.We are very thankful for the help of Mr. Gary Bekker. He promised to pay the membership fee of $487.00 and even wanted to have a tournament here in Palau." said Hernandez.

Bekker is the head of Oceania Zone and has encouraged the PCF to hold a big tournament this summer in Palau. Bekker even wanted to have some of the best players in Australia and New Zealand to compete for the tournament, which is aimed to give the current crop of players in Palau to get FIDE points.

The PCF is eyeing the Palau Royal Resort as the venue for this tournament, which will in a way give economic benefit for the country.

The tournament should also be a big boost for the PCF to introduce chess among the young kids in Palau, especially that the PCF is looking forward fo Palau's first participation in the 2008 World Chess Olympiad in Dresden, Germany.

Before that, there will also be the Oceania Zonal Championships in January 2007. "We want the kids to start now. In fact, we have coordinated in the schools and a lot of them have registered." said Hernandez.

Competing in the Chess Olympiad is already a great achievement and who knows that someday, there will be a Palauan Grandmaster for chess.

The upcoming 2006 International Championship here will be a perfect venue for the kids to start dreaming big.

Source: People, Places and Events

Palau Horizon Newspaper

Whole Page 9

January 24-26, 2006

Roberto Hernandez, left, got a helping hand from venue host Gene Pastrana in putting out a whole plywood of advertisement made by Hernandez for the current 2005-2006 Rapid Chess tournament.

Jose Omega, right, side by side with an onlooker.

Dennis Gonzales, left, vs. Joel Azana; Jerry Sermeno vs. Jess Gomez. Looking on is venue host Gene Pastrana and an unknown bystander.

(115) CHESS AND MUSIC Pioneering the game in a tiny nation

ALL IN THE FAMILY
     Roberto, daughter Karen (middle), who graduated from Nursing in March, and wife Flor, a women's division champ in a 2006 tourney.
                                                                                          (Photo by Vilma Belgar)


CHESS AND MUSIC --
Pioneering the game in a tiny nation

Koror, Palau -  On Feb. 04, 1992, I started to work in Palau  as a keyboard player of Tropical Depression Band. Unfortunately, the band lasted only six months and I became the musician and Disc Jockey (DJ) of Image Restaurant for 13 years.

For 11 months, I was the keyboard player of Rose Garden Resort and 11 months also as pianist at 3 other Japanese restaurants. I am now the musician of Palau Royal Resort since June 01, 2007. I will be 54 years old on Jan. 02, 2010.
,
I started playing chess in the early '70's and I was taught by a 7-year old boy (Rene Crisostomo), who always put out his queen early in every game. When I got better, I played and practiced with his uncle, the founder of Hagonoy Chess Club in Bulacan.

In 1990, I particiapted in the Philippine National Chess Championship and was seeded 218th with a rating of 1800. The top six finishers of that event represented the Philippines in the biannual World Chess Olympiad.

I was the champion of the Palau 2003 Senior and Junior Chess tournament and co-champion of the inaugural 2006 Ambassador Marino Cup. I scored 3 points in the 2006 Palau Invitational Chess Championship to get my international FIDE (World Chess Federation) rating of 1830.

The first ever chess tournament in Palau was organized by me and The Filipino Community in Palau Vice President Sergio Alemania. It was held on June 09, 2002 with 20 players participating (4 of them are women). It inspired me to see how many good players Palau has and still continue to do it for the love of the game.

I was elected chairman of the Knights and Rooks Chess Club (Palau) on Sept. 15, 2002 and Secretary/Treasurer of Palau Chess Federation. I have all the records of all my games in all tournaments held in Palau and some game records of other players who annotate their games.

In the 2005-2006 Rapid Chess tourney, I was the only one who wrote my games score despite the 30 minutes time control.

In the recently concluded Paquito Suringa Cup at the Palau Royal Resort, I also wrote my moves.

The Palau Chess Federation has been a member of FIDE since 2005. We can participate in FIDE-sanctioned tourneys and get ratings of local players if our tournament is FIDE rated like the ongoing 2009 Palau National Chess Championship.

The main problem in organizing this kind of tourney is the players' job schedule. That's why I applied the most flexible chess game schedule in the world. Players can play any day that they are available either at the tournament site or at PRR.

The first one of the most memorable chess experience was in the late '70's or early '80's when I played a friendly game against Asia's first Grandmaster (GM) Eugene Torre at Alemar's Bookstore in Makati.

He is promoting his book 'Beyond The 13th Move" but I bought that book the week before. I took another book on the shelves "Asian Zonal '72 Champion: Torre" and asked him to sign it.

During our game, I won a whole rook but forgot the safety of my own king and Eugene really showed how good he is.

The most memorable of my chess careeor was when I represented Palau to the Oceania Zonal Chess Championship in Australia. I socialized with 4 GMs, more than a dozen International Masters (IM), FIDE Masters, Candidate Masters and other players from Australia, New Zealand, Fiji, Papua New Guinea and Solomon Islands.

I experienced first hand how these masters played and discovered young and promising players of all ages. It truly improves my approach to the game of kings.

My third most memorable experience is my game with Juice Juice at chess.com where I was about to resign if he found the mate in two moves. He didn't! I still hanged on even with only 2 pawns against his rook and a pawn. When he resigned, that game became my best win among my more than 100 games. His rating is 2200.

My mission is to continue promoting chess in Palau especially to the kids as they are the future of this game. And maybe Palau can have its own FIDE Master, IM or even GM in the future.

I want also to participate in the World Chess Olympiad. We came close to competing in 2006 in Turin, Italy and 2008 in Dresden, Germany but failed due to financial constraints. We'll try again in 2010 in Khanty-Mansiysk, Russia.


Sources: Chessmate by Roberto Hernandez
                 Tia Belau Newspaper   Volume 19   Issue 08   February 22-28, 2010

                  The International Filipino
                  Volume 1   No. 2    December 16-31, 2009

(8) PALAU OPEN TEAM (2010 World Chess Olympiad--Khanty-Mansiysk, Russia) + Chess Mate Marks 8th Year (TBN-Jan. 03, 2011)

MINIMUM OF 3 PLAYERS
     To be allowed to play in Khanty-Mansiysk, Russia 2010 World Chess Olympiad, a team must have at least 3 members. In Palau's case, only 2 players made it--Roberto Hernandez and Tito Cabunagan. They were not allowed to play because their team captain Jamie Kenmure is listed under Australia while their Delegate Jan-Olav Berglund is not listed in Sweden and USA but can't show any stamp in his passport that he's been to Palau at least once.
                                                                                                 Source: Australasia Chess Magazine








 

PALAU TEAM OF 2 IN RUSSIA
     Tito Cabunagan (left) and Roberto Hernandez (right)

MINIMUM OF 3 PLAYERS
     To be allowed to play in Khanty-Mansiysk, Russia 2010 World Chess Olympiad, a team must have at least 3 members. In Palau's case, only 2 players made it--Roberto Hernandez and Tito Cabunagan. They were not allowed to play because their team captain Jamie Kenmure is listed under Australia while their Delegate Jan-Olav Berglund is not listed in Sweden and USA but can't show any stamp in his passport that he's been to Palau at least once.
                                                                                                 Source: Australasia Chess Magazine
                                                             (Contributed photo of Brian Jones from Australasian Chess Magazine)


                      CHESS MATE MARKS 8TH YEAR

THE HIGHLIGHTS on the 8th year of Chess Mate were the participation of Palau in the 2010 World Chess Olympiad in Khanty-Mansiysk, Russia and the ongoing 2010-2011 Palau National Chess Championship.

Although they were not allowed to play due to shortness of a single player, Roberto Hernandez and Tito Cabunagan were able to make it to Russia. A minimum of 3 players is required for a team that started in 2008 World Chess Olympiad in Dresden, Germany.

The duo just became observers and tourists with free food and hotel accommodation in the twin Hotel Olympic. Their Australian team captain, Jamie Kenmure, was not allowed to play for Palau also as there is a process in changing federation.

Their Swedish Delegate, Jan Berglund, was not allowed also to play when he can't show proof that he's been to Palau at least once.

The Olympiad was held from Sept. 20 - Oct. 04, 2010 with 144 countries participating in the best -hosted Olympiad ever.

Since the first issue of Chess Mate in Dec. 29, 2002, 17 major chess tournaments were held, 2 were invitational with foreign players from New Zealand, Australia and Philippines participated and enabled the top 6 players of Palau to gain international rankings.

Today, in Sept. 2010 FIDE ratings list, Cyril Tomas Montel, Jr. and Menandro 'Boy' Manuel are in the top ten of Other Oceania Players with Cyril at no. 6 with 1942 and Boy at no. 9 with 1906.

Joselito Marcos is still the top in this division followed by Shaun Press, also of PNG.

The FIDE rated 2009 Palau National Chess Championship enabled Hernandez (1883) to dislodged Gene Pastrana as No. 3 chess player of Palau with an improvement of only 3
points and Pastrana dropping at 4th after losing 116 points because of his withdrawal more than halfway from the event.

Manuel 'Jun' Mahor got his international rating of 1662 followed by Romeo Caballes, Bernardo Garcia and Michael Mercado with identical 1629 rating.

Palau Royal Resort's Paquito 'Pax' Suringa, Jr. is in solo 9th place with 1602 followed by Craig Dittrich (1569) and Elpidio Manaligod with 1540.

In the resumption of play at PRR Dorm 1 on Sunday, Dec. 26, Jun Mahor is now 2-2 (win-loss) after subduing Jeffrey Negrillo in 35 moves of King's Pawn Opening. Jeff is still looking for the elusive first point.

He is now eager to face another Jeff on Sunday, Jan. 02 at 1:00 pm. Jeff Balbalosa, an employee of Surangel's, was accommodated to replace the slot of Jimboy de Jesus, who has withdrawn from the event 3 weeks ago. Jeff will play Ferdinand 'Bong' Gutierrez after his game with Negrillo.

The prospect of having 2 players from Palau to participate in the 2011 Oceania Zonal Chess Championship in Rotorua, New Zealand will be known on Sunday after the employer of Mohammad Manik Hossain come back from Hawaii.

If Manik will be allowed to go, he will replace Tito for the chance to play in his first international event participation. The Zonal will be held from Jan. 25-31, 2011. An airfare subsidy of $300.00 each is offered to both players.

Paul Spiller, the President of New Zealand Chess Federation, chatted with Hernandez on Dec. 31 about the latest development asking: "Hello, Roberto, are you able to confirm your trip to NZ yet or does it look as though that you will not be able to come. I need to confirm or cancel accommodation bookings very soon."

Hernandez replied: " I have just sent you an email 5 minutes ago."  It reads as follows: 

 "Dear Paul and Brian, I wish you both and your family a prosperous and terrific new year 2011. Mohammad Manik Hossain, who will replace Tito, will know on Sunday, Jan. 02, if he will be allowed by his employer to go with me in Rotorua. I know his boss, Uchel Tmechtul. I played piano in the reception of his wedding at Airai View Hotel in 1995. I might talk to him to let Manik go. He gave me $20.00 tip last Dec. 3 after requesting 2 Filipino songs. He's with Palau President Johnson Toribiong and a Congressman that night at Breeze Bar of Palau Royal Resort. The other day (Dec. 29) was the 8th year that I've been writing "Chess Mate" by Roberto Hernandez at Tia Belau Newspaper, Palau first newspaper. I've been doing it for free but I was able to promote chess in Palau for 8 years. These last 4 years, they are not editing my writing. Whatever I write, they will publish it. Whatever picture I want to be published, they will publish it.

On Jan. 02, also, is my 55th birthday. There are games to be played in the resumption of 2010-2011 Palau National Chess Championship and I'll be happy to accommodate a late entree to play as many games as he can to catch up.

This PNCC is limited only to 15 players but 2 have withdrawn and now there is one late entree so we're 14 now. That's all for now and again, thank you so much for helping Palau chess move forward. Best wishes for the year 2011!!!   Roberto

In the latest development, Manik played an official game against Jeff Balbalosa, the late participant at 1:00 pm instead of Jeff-Jeff match because Manik has to work at 3:00 pm.

In a show of defensive prowess and attacking style, Manik clobbered Balbalosa in 40 moves of Scandinavian Defense. He's now won 7 games and lost 5.

In his delight, he promise to buy one case of soda for all employees of PRR living in Dorm 1 if he will beat Palau top player Cyril Tomas Montel, Jr. in his last game.


Source: Chess Mate by Roberto Hernandez
            Tia Belau Newspaper   
            Volume 20  
            Issue 1    
            January 03, 2011