Election day!

This was to be posted yesterday, I don't know what happened why when I checked now, it did not register... anyways, sad election day story I saw on the news this morning! My God! There was one guy shown on TV harrassing a female inside a Spa trying to look for an evidence for election cheating... so cheap!

Hi there!

Today is May 14, 2007, election day in our country, the Philippines! I have just voted, an hour ago and I am taking this time to post before heading back home to Baranggay Bayan Luma 3, one of the oldest baranggay in Imus Cavite (the name!).

To start things off,I received another text message from our friend is based in Ireland, Xavier "doods" Busig (NCFP rating 1987) saying:

"chessmates, my score update, 5-0. Every saturday lang ang games namin, so next week again. 4 more rounds remaining...Looks like it's in the bag na!!! heheheh!"

Congratulations to you my friend!

And, I received The Weekender yesterday and got to open only today... really a great work from Sir Manny... let's go check them all...

AFTER WINNING 2ND NAT’L CROWN
Wesley in dilemma over career, studies

Mom bewails lack of proper training, funding support BACOOR wonder boy Wesley So is “ready to compete for our country” anywhere in this world, and the only constraints are where to get proper training and financial support, according to his parents.

“As I have observed, Wesley loves chess,” said his mother Leny in reply to our query about his plans for the immediate future.

“He looks determined, focused and happy (when playing chess)… As long as he is happy, leads a balanced life as a teenager and takes care of his studies, then that’s fine with us (Leny and her husband, William).”

In short, should it be studies first before career for the country’s most gifted youngster and reigning national champion?

The Weekender interviewed Mrs. So by email after Wesley captured the national junior crown on Thursday, barely five months after topping the Pichay Cup National Open last December.

He made history both times as the youngest ever to win the National Open and the National Junior championships.

An international master with already one grandmaster’s norm to his name, the 13-year-old prodigy is seen as the country’s best hope for a world crown.

Wesley went through the National Juniors undefeated, but was not too sure of getting the top place entering the ninth and final round.

Fortunately for Wesley, his closest rival, Julius Joseph de Ramos, 18, who had been ahead of him on tiebreak points after the penultimate eighth, lost with White in the ninth to unheralded Kim Steven Yap from Cebu.

Wesley and Julius Joseph had drawn their game when they met in an earlier round.

In his final test, Wesley also faced tough opposition from little-known James Bulicatan of Davao.

In a rook-and-bishop ending, however, Wesley gradually gained a pawn and nursed it to victory.

He scored 8.5 points from eight wins and one draw, a full point clear of Yap and de Ramos, who shared the second and third prizes.

With the junior championship trophy, Wesley went home P15,000 richer.

Five others ended up in a tie for fourth to eighth places with 7.0 points each—Luffe Magdalaga, Ivan Gil Biag, Andrew Delfin, Mari Joseph Turqueza (he is the son of the QMC Chess Club president, Gene Turqueza), and Luke Farre.

Five players led by Richelieu Salcedo followed them with 6.5 each for the ninth to 13th places. The four others were Emmanuel John Salazar, Lelu Dan Laceste, Joseph Mercado and James Ryan Fernandez.

In the under-20 girls’ division, Aices Salvador, a 17-year-old La Salle business management student, scored 8.0 points to win the P10,000 cash prize pluys trophy.

She was also a full point ahead of her closest rivals—Jan Jodilyn Fronda, Cherry Lin Guiang and Marie Angeli Dimakiling, who shared the second to fourth prizes.

Marie Angeli is the younger sister of last year’s Turin Olympiad veteran, IM Oliver Dimakiling.

The NCFP story written by pool reporter Ed Andaya said Fronda outclassed WNM Kimberly Jane Cunanan, Guiang trounced Annie Montales and Dimakiling whipped Rulp Ylem Jose in the ninth and final round.

Ylem Jose, Christy Bernales and Jedara Docena had 6.5 points each to tie for fifth to seventh places, followed by nine other girls with 6.0 each.

• Wesley So - Jimson V. Bitoon
Sicilian, Maroczay Bind (B38)

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3² Nc6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 g6 5.c4 Bg7 6.Be3 Nf6 7.Nc3 d6 8.Be2 0–0 9.0–0 Bd7 10.Qd2 Nxd4 11.Bxd4 Not 11.Qxd4 because of 11…Ng4 12.Qd3 Nxe3 13.Qxe3 Qa5, and Black has equalized Bc6 12.f3 Nd7 13.Be3 a5 14.b3 Nc5 15.Rab1 Qb6 16.Rfc1 Rfc8 17.Rc2 Qd8 18.Bf1 b6 19.a3 h5 19...Be5 20.b4 Nd7 21.Bg5 would have restored the balance 20.Qf2² Kh7 21.Nd5 Bxd5 22.exd5 Qh8 23.g3 Rc7 24.Kh1 Rb7 25.f4 f5 Best was 25...Qc8! 26.Bg2 Bf6 27.Bf3 Nd7 28.Qe2 Kg7 29.Kg2 Rc8 30.h3 Rbc7 31.g4 Kf8 32.gxh5 gxh5 33.Bxh5 b5 34.Kh2 a4 35.bxa4 Bd4? 35...bxc4 was better 36.Bxd4 Qxd4 37.Qe6 Qxf4+ 38.Kg1 Ne5 39.Rf1 Qe3+ 40.Kh2 Kg7 41.Qxf5 Missing the more decisive 41.Rg2+!, e.g., 41...Kh8 42.Rxf5 Ng4+ 43.Bxg4 Qxe6 44.Rh5+ Qh6 45.Rxh6+ Kg7 46.Rh5! Kh8 42.axb5 Kg8 43.Bg4 43.Bf7+ would have led to mate, e.g., 43…Kg7 44.Rg2+ Qg3+ 45.Rxg3+ Ng4+ 46.Qxg4+ Kf8 47.Qg7#! Nf3+ 44.Qxf3! 1–0

All systems go for inaugural clinic

IT’S all systems go for the first clinic to be held at the Quezon Memorial Circle Chess Plaza by its newly formed club under its president, lawyer Gene Turqueza.

The clinic will be conducted by Juan Tapel Jr., who trained the reigning 12-year-old girl champion of Caloocan City, Joymee O. Morales.

Among those who have enrolled in the eight-session course for beginners is Adrian “Adi” Maronilla Jr., 6, the whiz kid from Mindoro who astounded the nation with his mental feats like naming all constellations in the heavens and the capital cities of almost all nations.

Adi, who will be in Grade IV at the Headway School of the Gifted in Diliman, Quezon City next month, has been playing occasionally at the plaza with grown-ups.

He was taught at five how to move pieces on the board by his mother, Mary Nol, a relative of GM Joey Antonio.

Among his classmates will be Samantha Grace Planas Maceda, adopted daughter of a niece of former Quezon City vice mayor Charito Planas, well-known civic leader who heads the Quezon City Parks Development Foundation, Inc., which administers the Quezon Memorial Circle.

Another early enrollee is Jonathan Aragones, six-year-old son of lawyer Jerome Aragones, who also is a habitué of the QMC Chess Plaza Club.

Registration is still open. Class starts at 3:30 p.m. on Sunday, May 20, at the Plaza to last until 5 p.m. Sessions will be held for eight successive Sunday afternoons.

The Plaza opens at 9 a.m. every day under caretaker Efren Arguelles, a highly rated non-master from Tanauan Batangas, and his assistant, Ricardo “Boying” Medillo.

Interested parents may contact Alfredo V. Chay at the QCFPDI offices, tel. No. 4353603, for details.

Registration fee for the entire course, which will be held at the QMC Plaza, is P1,500.

Shell Youth active chess series to start June 23-24

THIS year’s edition of the National Youth Active Chess Championship series gets under way in the fourth weekend of next month with the two-tier elimination tournament for players aged 20 and below (juniors) and 14 and below (kiddies) in the National Capital Region.

The June 23-24 NCR qualifier will be held at SM City Manila, just behind City Hall.

The NCR elimination tournament will kick off the nationwide search for the best young players of the land.

The Shell active chess series will consist of eight legs, to be held in the various major regions of the archipelago.

Interested parties may contact chief national coordinator Alex Dinoy for details at 744-1644 or 0922-8288510.

Regional coordinators are Mariano Cabugos at 078 844-2894 Tuguegarao; German Francisco, 0919-5658981 Dagupan; Joselito Castro, 043 723-2568/723-4246 Batangas; NM Cesar Mariano, 033 336-6205/0919-2833826 Iloilo; Odilon Badilles, 0926-5187156 Cebu; NA Ronnie Tabadlong, 082 300-4260 or 0918-3590531 Davao; and Engr. Carlos Florendo, o920-6279784 Zamboanga.

The Shell Youth series is the longest-existing annual event in the country.

It has produced such stalwarts as GMs Mark Paragua and Nelson Mariano II.

The final stage of the nationwide series will take place at SM Megamall in October

REVOLUTION IN THE GRASSROOTS
The Pichay Chess Caravan

THERE is a silent revolution going on in the grassroots and it was not initiated by a radical leftist group like the insurgent NPA but by an innovative engine of discovery: the Pichay Chess Caravan, which is now on a great roll in the countryside.

Since its launch last year by the National Chess Federation of the Philippines under Surigao del Sur Rep. Prospero Pichay Jr., the Chess Caravan has had 60 legs on its barangay-to-barangay tour of Metro Manila and nearby provinces like Bulacan, Rizal, Cavite, Laguna, Pampanga, Tarlac and Pangasinan.

Nothing like it has happened before in the entire history of the Philippines—or perhaps of the world—as it has reawakened both city and rural folk to the urgent need of embracing and popularizing chess as the mind sport where “brainy” Pinoys will certainly excel.

Congressman Pichay launched the project long before the start of the political campaign not to promote his own bid for the Senate but to regain lost ground in this “game of kings and king of games.”

Win or lose, he said he would continue supporting the Chess Caravan, a ragtag band of chess enthusiasts, masters and non-masters alike, that has drawn warm and enthusiastic response and support from the people in all places it has visited

Everywhere it went, despite its meager resources, the Pichay Chess Caravan endeared itself to the common tao, whether in crowded urban cities or in sparsely populated
barangays in mountainous and hilly areas or the central plains of Luzon.

The Caravan’s crewmen have risked life and limb going to all sorts of places just to spread the gospel of Caissa, unmindful of the risks they are taking, all for the sake of Philippine chess.

Even now as you read this, the Pichay caravan is likely crisscrossing Metro Manila in fulfillment of its mission to visit neighborhoods in the National Capital Region.

This week alone it has visited six places:

• Monday—Don Bosco in Tondo, Bgy. 116, Zone 9 covered court, with Cris Mangilaya as coordinator;
• Tuesday—Project 4, Quezon City, Bagumbayan Covered Court, with Mrs. Fopalan as coordinator.
• Wednesday—Bagong Barrio Covered Court, Caloocan City, with Juancho Caunte as coordinator.
• Thursday—Santolan, Pasig City, with Dennis San Juan as Coordinator.
• Friday—Parola, Tondo, Manila, Covered Court, with Rading Moje as coordinator.
• Saturday—Bago Bantay, Quezon City, Covered Court, Romblon/F. Santiago Sts., Bgy. Santo Cristo, with Judy Erazo as coordinator.

The Quezon Memorial Circle Chess Plaza hosted the Pichay Caravan’s visit on Easter Sunday, with Alfredo V. Chay as coordinator.

It was one of the best-attended events in the country’s premier chess plaza—ever.

One of the objectives of the Caravan’s barangay visits is to discover young talents who may someday be champions of this game of kings.

The main activities of the Caravan during a visit include a chess clinic, simultaneous exhibitions by the masters and a mixed tournament for non-masters, grown-ups and youngsters of both genders alike.

Chess as a challenging intellectual sport is known to be a powerful attraction to the youth and a potent antidote to drug abuse and other vices.

Even as this is written, a future world champion is likely waiting to be discovered in a nondescript neighborhood somewhere in the country.—Based on a press release from the NCFP Chess Caravan

And of course, Sir Bobby's 2 articles from Chess Piece...

Consolation Prize

THE “Subic Massacre” is over. In the just-concluded Subic Open, the Chinese GMs took home 90% of the prize fund, occupied the first 5 places and outclassed our local top players, let us take stock, what good came out of organizing the Subic Open?

Senatoriable Prospero Pichay, the current President of the National Chess Federation of the Philippines (NCFP), was clearly not happy last year during the closing ceremonies of the First GMA Cup when our Pinoy chessers were pushed to the background by the foreign GMs. It would be interesting to speculate on what was his reaction given that we performed even worse this year.

But wait! Let us put this in the proper perspective.

If you list down the players according to their respective ELO numbers, you will see that the highest rated Pinoy, GM Joey Antonio, has 2539, which is ranked no. 10, meaning that we really were not expected to contend for the top prizes. So why the disappointment?

I guess it is because of the fantasy most Pinoys carry that the Filipinos are very strong players who have not had a chance to play in tournaments abroad, we are under-rated, and the foreign players coming here toting high ELO numbers are going to lose a lot of these when they meet up against our local masters.

That may be true before, but not anymore. Just go to India or Vietnam to see the hordes of promising young players, and you will see coaches going around the boards, trying to spot new talent. Singapore has chess in its school curriculum. There are chess schools which house grandmasters and international masters from all around the world, and they deploy these players to the various schools and teach their elementary students chess. Promising players are identified and assigned to higher-level instructors. One of these, IM Enrique Paciencia, once remarked to me that already he sees that in a few more years even Singapore will overtake the Philippines in the regional chess hierarchy.

In other words, this trend is not going to change. All the prize money in these international opens will continue to be won by foreign GMs if we continue to rely on our old guard. It might be a good idea to concentrate NCFP money on our juniors for the next two years and see how they pan out. To paraphrase an old saying, “if it’s broke, we have got to fix it.”

Lecture is over. Let us take a few moments to look at the consolation prizes we got out of the Subic Open.

FM Julio Catalino Sadorra got his third and final IM norm and is now a full-fledged International Master. Congratulations Ino!

Seven years ago, Ino, John Paul Gomez and Oliver Barbosa were the strongest batch of 14-year-olds ever in the Philippines. I am afraid that this is a perfect illustration of just how much we have messed up. At that time I had proposed to organize a training team of these youngsters, perhaps to include Roderick Nava, Joseph de Ramos, Vic Neil Villanueva, Dino Ballecer and a few others, train them intensely and these people will be the ones who will carry the honor of the country in five or six years. This plan was to be underwritten by the Philippine Chess Society.

The idea was relegated to the trash can (“just give us the money and we will take care of it”) and now, seven years later, the only one among this batch who is an International Master is Ino Sadorra. Ironic too, because his whole family migrated to Singapore five years ago and that is where he got his norms and tournament experience I’d also like to congratulate NM Ernesto Fernandez of Pagadian City for a great performance. He scored 5/9 against very strong opposition. Some people told me that Fernandez got an IM norm, but I am quite skeptical about this report, for his foreign opponents were from China and Indonesia, while a norm requirement is that they must be from three different federations.

Here is his victory over GM Joey Antonio.

Antonio,Rogelio Jr (2539) - Fernandez,Ernesto [B31]
Phil Open Subic Bay Freeport Zone (7.8)
Sicilian Defense, Rossolimo Variation

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Nf6 4.Nc3 g6 5.0–0 Bg7 6.h3 0–0 7.Bxc6 bxc6 8.d3 d6 9.Be3 Re8 10.Qd2 Nd7 11.Bh6 Bh8 12.Ng5 Rb8 13.Rab1 Qa5 14.Qf4 Ne5 15.Qg3

Obviously GM Joey intends to push his f-pawn down the board, so Black has to counter right away.

15...f6 16.f4 fxg5 17.fxe5 Bxe5 18.Qxg5 Be6 19.Kh1

Most players would play 19.h4 without a second thought, but GM Joey realizes that the cunning Fernandez had prepared 19...Rb7! and White would be routed if he continues with 20.h5? Bd4+ 21.Kh1 Bf6! 22.Rxf6 exf6 23.Qxf6 c4!

19...Qc7 20.Qd2 Bg7 21.Bxg7 Kxg7 22.e5 d5 23.Na4 Qxe5

Forced. Protecting the pawn with 23...Rb5 allows the White queen to assume a threatening position on f4.

24.Nxc5 Qd6 25.Qc3+ Kg8

Not 25...d4?? 26.Qxd4+ Kg8 (26...Qxd4 27.Nxe6+ Kg8 28.Nxd4 wins a knight and a pawn) 27.Nxe6 Qxe6 leaves white a pawn up. In the light of Black's fractured pawn structure and his exposed king, I would say white has enough to win.

26.d4 Rf8 27.b4 Bf5 28.Rbe1 Rf6 29.Kg1 Rbf8 30.a3 Bc8 31.Qe3 R8f7 32.c3 Kg7 33.a4 h6 34.a5 g5 35.Rxf6 exf6 36.Qe8?

White did not realize that Fernandez is not yet out of tricks. He should have played 36.Re2 first.

36...Bxh3! 37.Ne6+
[37.gxh3 Qg3+ draw]
37...Bxe6 38.Rxe6 Qd7?

[38...Qf4! is the saving move, threatening perpetual check. If White goes back with the rook, 39.Re1 then 39...g4! and it is White who is in trouble]

39.Qxd7 Rxd7 40.Rxc6 h5 41.a6?

It is GM Joey’s turn to err. 41.b5 followed by b5-b6 is much better, for this way he can threaten to advance the pawn without giving up the c-file. See the next note.

41...Kg6 42.b5 Kf5 43.Kf2

This is what I meant in the previous note. If White wants to advance his pawn he has to play 43.b6 and now 43...axb6 44.Rxb6 Black gets the c-file: 44...Rc7! to continue the line further 45.Rb7 Rxc3 46.a7 Ra3 Black wins.

43...h4 44.Rc8 g4 45.Rb8 Rc7 46.Rb7 Rxc3 47.Rxa7 g3+ 48.Ke2?

GM Joey is trying too hard to win. 48.Ke1 is best. Things could get complicated, though, with 48...Rc1+ 49.Kd2 Rg1 then 50.Re7! Rxg2+ 51.Re2 h3 52.a7 I don't know who is winning.

48...Rc2+ 49.Kd3 Rxg2 50.Rg7 Ra2 51.a7

After 51.a7

51...Rxa7! 52.Rxa7 g2 53.Rg7 h3 54.b6 h2 55.b7 g1Q 56.Rxg1 hxg1Q 57.b8Q

Black had to visualize several moves back that this position is won for him.

57...Qd1+ 58.Ke3 Qe1+ 59.Kf3 Qe4+ 60.Kg3 Qg4+ 1-0

Black's next move is 61...Qf4+, transposing into a won pawn endgame.

Subic Epilogue (part 2)

BEFORE we finally leave the topic of the Subic Open let me show to you two games of interest. First is the gigantic hammer-and-tongs fight between the tournament winner and Indonesian legend Utut Adianto, and second, by insistent popular demand, is GM Eugene Torre’s win over GM Varuzhan Akobian of the USA.

Wang Yue (2656) - Adianto,Utut (2587) [D26]
Phil Open, Subic Bay Freeport Zone (4.29)
Queen's Gambit Accepted.

At the insistent prodding of Raul Sol Cruz of Meralco, from now on I will put in the English name of the Opening in addition to the ECO Code.

1.d4 d5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.c4 dxc4

The Queen's Gambit Accepted is Adianto's main weapon against the d4 openings. As the leader of the Indonesian school of chess most of his countryman also have this same opening in their repertoire. In other words, if you are going to play chess in Asia you had better be prepared to face the QGA.

4.e3 a6 5.Bxc4 b5

The classical line goes 5...e6 6.0–0 c5. The text is Adianto's specialty, lately also taken up by China's Wang Hao.

6.Bd3 Bb7 7.0–0 e6 8.Qe2 Nbd7 9.a4 b4 10.e4 Be7

Black would like to play 10...c5 but then 11.d5 exd5 12.e5 followed by e5-e6 is quite dangerous.

11.Nbd2 c5 12.e5

[12.d5 does not look so threatening anymore: 12...exd5 13.e5 Nh5 14.g3 (14.e6 fxe6 15.Qxe6 Nf4 is the complete answer) 14...g6 15.e6 fxe6 16.Qxe6 Ng7 17.Qh3 0–0 18.b3 Bf6 19.Ra2 Ne5 20.Nxe5 Bxe5 21.Rd1 Qf6 22.Nf1 Qf3 23.Be2 Qxf2+ 0–1 Dydyshko,V (2581)-Cernousek,L (2369)/ Cartak 2004]

12...Nd5 13.Nb3 cxd4

Almost forced. The incautious 13...0–0 is met by 14.dxc5 Nxc5 15.Nxc5 Bxc5 16.Bxh7+! Kxh7 17.Ng5+ Kg8 (17...Kg6? 18.Qe4+ f5 19.exf6+ Kh5 20.Qh7+ Kg4 21.Qh3#) 18.Qc2 g6 19.Qxc5 Rc8 20.Qa7 White is a pawn up and Black's king position is still not yet secure. Levin,F (2475)-Vadasz,L (2320)/ Budapest 1997 1–0 (31).

14.Bd2 0–0 15.Rac1 Qb8 16.a5 Qa7 17.Nfxd4 Nc5 18.Nxc5 Bxc5 19.Nf3

It is now clear that White will be attacking on the kingside featuring an h-pawn advance.

19...Be7 20.h4 Rad8 21.h5 Rd7 22.Ng5 Bxg5 23.Bxg5 h6 24.Bd2 Rfd8 25.Bb1 Qd4

Now the dam breaks.

26.Bxh6!? gxh6 27.Rc4 Qa7 28.Rg4+ Kf8 29.Qd2 Ke7?

[29...Ne3! forces off the queens, and after 30.Qxe3 Qxe3 31.fxe3 Rd2 I don't see any advantage any more for White]

30.Qxh6 Rc7 31.Qg5+ Kd7 32.h6 Rcc8 33.Qg7 Rf8 34.h7 Qc5 35.Rd1 Kc7 36.Bd3 Qxa5 37.Qxf8!

Always a pleasure to make moves like this.

37...Rxf8 38.Rg8 Nf4!

Adianto takes the move which gives more practical chances. He sees that 38...Qc5 39.h8Q Rxg8 40.Qxg8 Qe7 allows him to escape with only quality down, but two more moves forward ... 41.Rc1+ Kb6 42.Qb8! Black is paralyzed.

39.h8=Q
[39.Rxf8 Qd5 40.Rxf7+ Kb6 41.Rg7 Nh3+!? (41...Nxg2? 42.Be2 forces resignation) 42.Kf1 Nxf2 brings unwanted complications]

39...Qd5 40.Rc1+ Kb6 41.Bf1 Qd2?!

It appears that best chances come from 41...Rxg8! 42.Qxg8 Nh3+ 43.Kh2 Qxe5+ 44.Qg3 (44.Kxh3? Qh5+ 45.Kg3 Qe5+ draw) 44...Nxf2! Black still has drawing chances
42.Rc4!

[42.Rxf8? Qxc1 43.Qh4 Ka5 44.Rxf7 Bxg2 45.Rxf4 Qxf1+ 46.Kh2 Bd5 unclear]

42...Ng6 43.Qg7 Rxg8 44.Qxg8 Nxe5 45.Rh4 a5 46.Qg3 f6 47.Rf4 f5 48.Rh4 Ng4 49.Rh7 e5

After so many tactical adventures White's attack has evaporated and Black's offensive has kicked in.

50.f3? Qd4+ 51.Kh1 Qd1 52.fxg4 Qxf1+ 53.Kh2 f4 54.Qh3 Be4?
[54...Qf2 is correct, getting the b2-pawn. Adianto did not see Wang Yue's 63rd move]

55.Re7 f3? 56.Rxe5 fxg2

The crucial position. Can White mate Black before he gets mated himself?
57.Qe3+ Ka6 58.Qh6+ Ka7 59.Re7+ Bb7 60.Qe3+ Ka6 61.Re6+ Kb5 62.Rb6+ Ka4

After 62...Ka4

There! The checks will soon run out and Black wins, right?
63.Qa3+!!

Wrong. After 63...bxa3 64.b3 is mate. 1–0

GM Varuzhan Akobian is a native Armenian who emigrated to the USA as a child. He grew up in the Los Angeles area and played most of his chess there. On the gossipy side, he is known for an incident during the Bahamas party at the 2006 Turin Olympiad. You will recall that Fil-Australian beauty Arianne Caoili showed up with the Armenian top board Levon Aronian. When they started dancing the heart-broken Englishman Daniel Gormally came over and shoved Aronian to the ground. Shocked at this gross disrespect to the leader of Armenian chess, Varuzhan Akobian ran over and swung at Gormally. He was the one that American captain Yasser Seirawan restrained to restore order.

Aren’t you glad you read “Chess Piece”?

Torre,Eugenio (2532) - Akobian,Varuzhan (2574) [D00]
2007 Subic Int'l Open Subic, Olongapo City (6), 16.04.2007
Reversed Chigorin

1.d4 d5 2.Bf4 c5 3.Nc3 e6 4.e3 a6 5.Nf3 Nf6 6.a3 Nbd7 7.Bd3 b5 8.0–0 Bb7 9.Ne5 Be7 10.Qf3 0–0 11.Rad1 Nxe5 12.dxe5 Nd7 13.Qh3 g6 14.Bh6 Nxe5!

Akobian correctly assesses that the minor pieces are more valuable than the rooks in this position.

15.Bxf8 Qxf8 16.Rfe1 Bf6 17.e4 d4 18.Nb1 c4 19.Bf1 Qc5 20.Nd2 h5

The chances are all on Akobian's side, but it would be an exaggeration to say that he is already winning.

21.Nf3 Rd8 22.Nxe5 Bxe5 23.Qh4 Rd7 24.g3 Kg7 25.Qg5 Qc7 26.Qd2 Qb6 27.Kh1 h4 28.f4 Bf6?

A mistake, allowing 29.g4. Akobian should have played 28...Bc7!? and now if 29.g4 then 29...Qd6 and the two bishops rule.

29.g4! d3 30.cxd3 cxd3 31.g5 Bd4 32.Qxd3 Bc6 33.Qc2 e5 34.Bh3 Rc7 35.f5 Bb7 36.Qe2 Rc4 37.f6+ Kg8 38.Qg4 Bf2? 39.Re2 Bc8 40.Qf3 Bxh3 41.Qxh3

[41.Rxf2? may look interesting, getting rid of the f2- bishop which protects the h4-pawn, but Black will then get a nice tactical shot in, 41...Bg4! 42.Qxg4 Qxf2 Black wins]

41...Bd4 42.Qxh4 Qc5 43.Qh6 Qf8 44.Qxf8+ Kxf8

White's winning chances lie in advancing his kingside pawn majority.

45.Kg2 Ke8 46.h4 Kd7 47.Kf3 a5 48.Kg4 Ke6 49.h5 gxh5+ 50.Kxh5 Rc8 51.Kh6 a4 52.Kg7 Rc7 53.Rf1 1–0

Akobian resigns. GM Torre will simply play g5-g6 followed by pushing his f-pawn forward.

FROM MY SWIVEL CHAIR
Players pin hopes on Pichay, Pimentel

PLAYERS all over the country pin their hopes on the election to the Senate of candidates Prospero “Butch” Pichay and Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel as true and tested friends of chess. I join them in praying for their victory in tomorrow’s national election. I hope that, once elected, they will join forces in promoting chess.

—0—

I BELIEVE that Butch Pichay’s greatest contribution to the game of kings is the Chess Caravan, which is going great guns popularizing the game we all love in the grassroots, the barangays. If every barangay has a chess club, the future of the Philippine chess is assured.

—0—

AS regards Koko Pimentel, he and his father have long been associated with chess. Nene Pimentel is a former president of the Philippine Chess Federation while Koko used to be a top varsity player for the Ateneo and UP. He has promised to propose bills that will benefit chess and other sports in general.

—0—

IT is every decent citizen’s hope that tomorrow’s elections will be fair, honest and above all peaceful. Vigilance is the price of liberty, and this is most needed during the casting and counting of votes, the very heart of a genuine democracy. Chess players, do your part as civic-spirited citizens!

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THE media have the most important role to play. It should keep watch, not to take sides but to see to it that the law prevails in the exercise of the right of suffrage. The TV camera is the biggest deterrent to fraud and violence, and a vigilant press can help keep the elections free, honest and fair. Journalists, be fair too!

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IT is sad that in both the Age-Group and Junior Championships at the Marketplace, divisive politics surfaced, such that only one of the two rival factions of the NCFP was involved. I saw only the faces of the “ruling faction” officers at the playing hall. What example are these
“leaders” giving the youth?

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DITTO with journalists. Those identified with “the other” faction were also conspicuously absent,and a number of newspapers did not carry any news about either event. That’s carrying factionalism too far. A journalist who is petty and partisan is no journalist at all. He should be shunned and ostracized by the rest.

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I WAS shocked to hear about the supposed payola, said to run in the thousands of pesos, one should give to media people in order to have an event publicized. I never expected that would come to pass in the post-martial law and -EDSA I era. How can a corrupt press be an effective guardian of freedom?

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I PREFER to think that what I heard was just that—hearsay. But supposing it’s true, as, shall we say, a matter of individual “practice,” should it be condoned or taken as just a “sign of the times”? The bigger papers should take the lead in cleaning up the institution of the press. It stinks!

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I SAY all this because, as the saying goes, “The pen is mightier than the sword!”


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There goes TW for this issue. envelope journalism discussed in the swivel chair by sir Manny? Subic Swindling? or Subic Fiasco? well, the state of Philippine chess...On the competitive level, I head someone say Fiipinos are feared for in the International scene because of the unorthodox manner we play... but hey! In life and in sports, you get to give that monstrous greatness by winning every games and tournaments you join, not by playing out of text!

Play chess, chess play!