Extra!!! The Chess Plaza Weekender
Tuesday, Nov. 20, 2007
Quezon Memorial Circle, Quezon City Weekday edition
WORLD YOUTH JOUST IN ANTALYA,TURKEY
Camacho, Ochoa win first two games!
PHILIPPINE national age-group champions Chardine Cheradee Camacho (Under 14 Girls) and Karl Victor Ochoa (Under 16 Boys) won their first two games in the World Youth (Age Group) Championships in Kemer, Antalya, Turkey.
Cheradee outwitted a Mexican girl despite playing Black in her first assignment and followed this up with another win against a rated Russian rival.
Karl Victor had an easy sailing despite playing Black against a Malaysian opponent in the first round and stepped on the gas with White to outrace his titled rival from Spain, Fide Master Jorge Cabrera Trujillo.
Camacho and Ochoa are members of a small delegation—eight players (three boys and five girls) and two coaches, IM Rodolfo Tan Cardoso and NM Wilfredo Neri, both of the National Chess Federation of the Philippines—who left late last week for Turkey, host of the global event.
Most of the six other players—Samantha Glo Revito (U8 Girls), Mira Mirano (U10 Girls), Brena Mae Membrere (U12 Girls), Pascua Haridas (U14 Boys), Kimberly Jan Cunanan (U16 Girls) and Paulo James Florendo (U18 Boys)—had a 50 per cent performance after two rounds.
Playing White, Samantha Glo lost her first game against an Indian girl but won her second one with Black against a Turkish player for a full point.
Mira won with White against a local girl but lost with Black to another Turkish girl in her second outing while Brena Mae lost to a Bulgarian rival and drew her second game with a girl from Israel.
Asean gold medalist Haridas Pascua started well with a win over and Israeli lad but only drew his second game with a rated player from Bulgaria.
Playing White, Kimberly Jane, a veteran of youth tournaments abroad since she was that high, drew her first game against an Estonian girl but lost playing Black in the second round against a Belgian lass.
Paulo James Florendo, the national under-18 champion, started with a win with White over a Norwegian rival but unluckily lost his second assignment, this time to an Estonian Fide master.
Among the guest speakers was World Chess Federation (Fide) honorary president Florencio Campomanes of the Philippines.
It was the first time for him to revisit the place where he was critically injured in a car crash last February.
The event drew thousands of visitors.
In his speech, Campomanes told the players not to offer any excuses for their losses except the bad moves because “the Turkish Chess Federation is providing every possible facility to the guests in the best way possible.”
Campomanes was critically injured on February 2 this year when his car crashed on his way to the airport after attending a Fide presidential board meeting.
He was declared out of danger only after a seven-and-a-half-hour surgical operation to mend his broken bones in his hands, legs and face..
According to a posting on the official website, there are 2,600 visitors—players and their coaches, managers and chaperones—currently billeted in three hotels in Antalya.
2ND G.M.A. CUP OPEN AND CHALLENGE
Eugene, Joey see brighter prospects
BOTH Grandmasters Eugenio Torre and Rogelio “Joey” Antonio are confident that Filipino players have brigher prospects of winning major prizes in the upcoming Second President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo Cup than in previous international tournaments over the past year.
They believe that even though the foreign participation this time is bigger, the quality of opposition is lower than those in the First GMA Cup in November last year and the Philippine Open in Subic last April.
Torre and Antonio spoke at a press conference presided over by NCFP president Prospero Pichay Jr. at the Pantalan Restaurant near the Quirino Grandstand at the Luneta on Monday noon.
They also expressed the hope that the three GM-candidates—International Masters Wesley So, Ronald Dableo and Jayson Gonzales—will earn their third and final norm to bag the title they had been seeking over the past year.
With such a motivation, the three are expected to play better than usual, especially since most of the superstars that competed in the previous international events are not taking part this time.
Also present at the conference was the country’s newest GM., Darwin Laylo, who is leaving tomorrow for the World Cup to be held in Siberia, northern Russia.
Games there will begin on Friday.
In his talk to the media, Pichay formally announced that 28 foreign players led by Chinese super GM Ni Hua have signed up for the President’s Cup as reported earlier by The Weekender.
The number of Filipino entries has risen from three to 11 for the Open and from four to seven in the Challenge for a total of 28 (for the full listof foreign entries see the regular edition issued last Sunday, November 18).
The 11 are GMs Torre, Antonio and Mark Paragua, IMs So, Barlo Nadera, Richard Bitoon and Chito Garma, Fide Masters Fernie Donguines and Mirabeau Maga; Woman International Master Beverly Mendoza and NM Oliver Barbosa.
The seven who have signed up for the GMA Cup challenge are Merben Roque, David Elorta, Rainier Labay, Ivan Gil Biag, Stewart Manaog, Ibaryu Andante, Ricson Yeo, Gerson Bitoon and Gerry Yulo.
Asked by The Weekender whether the NCFP was willing to subsidize some of the promising local players known as the “giant killers,” Pichay said “not this time.”
He expressed disappointment with local players who were subsidized for the First GMA Cup and the Subic Open, saying that they did not play well enough and some even quit during the tournament simply because they had a free right.
Grandmasters and players rated 2450 and above do not have to pay any fee to register. The lower the rating, the higher the fee, it was explained. Those rated 2400 to 2450 will have to shell out $50 or P2,500, from 2300 to 2399 $75 or P3,750, and 2100 to 2299 from $100 to P5,000.
The fee for the Challenge is P2,000 per player. As of yesterday, it was not known where the Challenge will be held. After the GMA Cup, the Prospero Pichay Jr. Cup Open will be held.
Many of the foreign players here for the GMA Cup may stay on for the Pichay Cup, which for the first time since it started two years ago will be an international open event.
Indian players are expected to join the tournament.
One global superstar, former world championship challenger Nigel Short of England, has signified his intention to play in the Pichay Cup.
Hey there! the subsidy issue for players sounds familiar specially the reply of Mr. Pichay! I remember well how my dad would offer me to attend and pay half of the fees for seminars, workshops, events and concerts I'm interested in. He almost, and my mom, always follow it up with "we'll share the fees or am not giving you any" Each time they would assure me that it's important I do something or invest something in what I want to have or do, be responsible to follow through and other "I'm-your-dad- speech".
Somehow, this made me feel responsible and actually prepared me for the difficult life of starting one's family.
Yes! Our players must learn to be responsible enough, never quit in the middle of the tournament simply because all they had to do was register... for free. Served on a silver platter? Not this time.
It comes with training, preparation, hard work!
I believe GM Darwin "D-Lo" Laylo knows this as he prepare for his match against the French prodigy, E. Bacrot for the World Cup.
Till then.
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