So nears 2700

Based on the latest FIDE Ratings (January 2009), GM Wesley So's rating has gone up to 2627, or just 73 Elo points away from the 2700 mark.

I guess Wesley would breach the 2700 mark before turning 17 years old.

Right now, Wesley is ranked No.9 in the world's Top 20 Juniors. GM Magnus Carlsen and GM Sergey Karjakin occupied the No.1 and No.2 spots, respectively.

Although Wesley (World Rank No.116, all players and World Rank No.111, active players only) still didn't make it to World's Top 100, he already displayed his top-caliber talent by drawing with GM Shirov (World Rank No.12) and GM Karjakin (No.27) and beating GM Ni Hua (No.26).

Let's see his rating progress:

RP's Top 10 Players:

Meet the future

These young kids are the future of Philippine chess. Of course, there are still more out there.


Stephen Pangilinan (6 years old), Dindin, Paulo Bersamina (10 years old), Daryl Unix, Mr. Gaudia with NA NM Rudy Ibañez.

My thanks to a friend who sent in this photo.

PRODIGY VS PRODIGY

As of this writing, board pairings for BIG, BIG Round 4 are still yet to be posted.

But as team pairings indicated, RP Team (Tagaytay Chess Club) will be battling against the UAE Team (Al Ain Chess Club).

It will be a homogenous RP Team vs the international UAE Team.

It will be a team with a mission versus a team without so much a mission. It will be a team with so much pride at stake versus a team which is simply expected to perform.

It will be spirit versus showcase.

I still don't know if it would be a So-Karjakin or Karjakin-So game. How I love to see a So-Karjakin DREAM MATCH.

I am very much convinced that Wesley will give Sergey SO much problems if Wesley handles the White armies.

Tomorrow morning, how I wish to post on this blog the headline: "And SO it happens . . . So defeats Karjakin."

As you all know, the RP Team is Rank No.1 after three rounds of play. It's almost a perfect performance for the RP Team, if not for the single draw by GM John Paul Gomez.

Just look at this:
Bo.1: GM Wesley So (3/3) 3.0 points
Bo.2: GM John Paul Gomez (2.5/3) 2.5 points
Bo.3: GM Mark Paragua (3/3) 3.0 points
Bo.4: GM Darwin Laylo (3/3) 3.0 points

An exclamation performance indeed, so far!

All eyes will be on Board 1 in RP vs UAE war in Round 4. How I wish to see a live game of this match.

Pinoychessinforme provided a link for the PGN games in this tournament: Click HERE

1st Asian Club Cup

I thought it was billed as the 1st Asian Chess Champions League.

Now it's called the 1st Asian Club Cup.

Which is which? Maybe I'm mistaken.

Anyway, forget the titles. The Tagaytay Chess Club (RP) is well on a good start.

But what really interests me in this tournament is the possibility of our very own prodigy GM Wesley (2610) banging against another prodigy from Ukraine, GM Sergey Karjakin (2730).

How I love that to happen! And how I love it more seeing Wesley defeating Sergey.

Here is the performance of RP Team:

CLICK HERE for pairings and results.

Christmas and Chess

Christmas and chess have something in common.

Think about sacrifice.

Jesus sacrificed himself for the redemption of every man -- the holiest sacrifice this universe has ever known.

Which means that the concept of sacrifice is indeed something special.

In chess, doing a sacrifice in order to win is a splendid beauty that can free up our souls from within.

Christmas is sacrifice and freedom.

Freedom to all! Merry Christmas and a happy new year!

6-year old wonder

It can no longer be kept silent and still.

His name is now coming like a whirlwind ready to blow off anything and anybody who stands on his way.

The name is Stephen Rome Pangilinan.

And he is only six years old!

Mr. Manahan was completely correct when he said that I "erred" when I said that this boy would become a champion "someday."

Mr. Manahan said that the word "someday" is wrong. It must instead be "anyday," he said.

I could not help agreeing with him.

This 6-year old phenomenal boy tied for first to second place with eventual champion Claudio Olar Jr. in the recent MCC kiddies (16-under) tournament held over the weekend in Mandaluyong City.

You see? I really erred when I said this boy would be a champion someday.

I stand corrected. Now it should be "anyday."

Pinoys in KL Open

Our blog reader JOHN MANAHAN sent me the performance of our Filipino participants in the KL Open 2008 held in Malaysia. We extend our gratitude to the efforts of Mr. Manahan. Thank you, Sir.

So . . . here are the results of the campaigns of our Filipino woodpushers in KL Open 2008, as submitted by Mr. Manahan.

Name Paragua Mark
Title GM
Starting rank 3
Rating 2526
Rating national 0
Rating international 2526
Ratingperformance 2152
FIDE rtg +/- -14,2
Points 2
Rank 33
Federation PHI
Ident-Number 0

Rd. SNo Name Rtg FED Pts. Res.
1 36 Soh Han Loong Gerald 2109 MAS 2,0 w 1
2 19 IM Gokhale Chandrashekhar 2332 IND 3,0 s 0
3 30 CM Neubronner Jarred 2170 SIN 2,5 w 0
4 50 Wee Chu En Kelvin 1998 SIN 1,0 s 1
5 34 Bao Khoa 2142 VIE 2,0 w 1
6 22 Yu Ruiyuan 2261 CHN 3.5 s

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Name Villamayor Buenaventura
Title GM
Starting rank 7
Rating 2468
Rating national 0
Rating international 2468
Ratingperformance 2408
FIDE rtg +/- -1,6
Points 3
Rank 10
Federation PHI
Ident-Number 0

Rd. SNo Name Rtg FED Pts. Res.
1 40 Yeap Eng Chiam 2061 MAS 2,0 w 1
2 22 Yu Ruiyuan 2261 CHN 2,5 s ½
3 19 IM Gokhale Chandrashekhar 2332 IND 3,0 w ½
4 28 Zakaria Fairin 2207 MAS 2,0 s 1
5 26 Daniel Howard Fernandez 2212 SIN 3,0 w 1
6 8 GM Zaw Win Lay 2468 MYA 3.5 s

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Name Sadorra Julio Catalino
Title IM
Starting rank 10
Rating 2431
Rating national 0
Rating international 2431
Ratingperformance 2428
FIDE rtg +/- 1,3
Points 3
Rank 9
Federation PHI
Ident-Number 0

Rd. SNo Name Rtg FED Pts. Res.
1 43 Soon Wai Cheong 2050 MAS 1,5 s 1
2 29 Hakiki Kaisar Jenius 2189 INA 3,0 w 1
3 1 GM Filippov Anton 2543 UZB 4,0 s 0
4 31 Suyud Hartoyo 2158 INA 2,0 w 1
5 19 IM Gokhale Chandrashekhar 2332 IND 3,0 s 1
6 14 IM Tirto 2406 INA 4.0 w


++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Name Chiong Luis
Title IM
Starting rank 16
Rating 2361
Rating national 0
Rating international 2361
Ratingperformance 2181
FIDE rtg +/- -12,0
Points 2
Rank 34
Federation PHI
Ident-Number 0

Rd. SNo Name Rtg FED Pts. Res.
1 49 Capel Evan Timothy 2002 MAS 2,0 s 1
2 1 GM Filippov Anton 2543 UZB 4,0 w 0
3 35 Tan Khai Boon 2129 MAS 2,0 s 0
4 43 Soon Wai Cheong 2050 MAS 1,5 w 1
5 36 Soh Han Loong Gerald 2109 MAS 2,0 s 1
6 37 Zhang Jing 2091 CHN 3.0 w

Stephen Rome Pangilinan

Remember the name: STEPHEN ROME PANGILINAN.

I saw this kid play during the 1st Mayor Lim Rapid Chess Tournament held in SM Manila. Actually, he was not a tournament participant but only a 'miron' playing near the tournament hall.

I tell you, the way I saw this six-year old kid play, he would surely be a chess champion someday.

I bet my word on this. Stephen Rome Pangilinan will be a chess champion someday.

I don't know this kid personally. I just saw him play once. But I tell you, again, that he will be a chess champion someday.

He is only six years old today. Another Wesley So in the making? Let's see . . .

I don't know but I feel so much optimism for this wonder boy.

11th Alay Kay Mayor tournament

Eleven-year old year old Melwyn Kenneth Baltazar emerged the overall winner in the recently concluded 11th Alay Kay Mayor Marikina Age Group Chess Championship after posting an emphatic 6/6 performance.

We also congratulate Pasay City's chess pride Paulo Bersamina for winning the second top spot overall. Paulo was tied with 5.0 points with two other players -- Prince Mark Aquino and Anfernee Bonifacio -- but won the second spot due to higher tie breaks.

Paulo also won the 10-year old age category.

The event was participated in by more than 50 young participants.

Handuraw chess 2008

Here is the latest news I monitored about the Handuraw Chess Festival 2008 . . .


Cebu Chess moves to 3rd spot
Sunday, December 21, 2008
SOURCE

A WIN yesterday morning and a draw in late afternoon pushed the Team Cebu City Chess in third place in National Chess Federation of the Philippines’ (NCFP) 2008 Handuraw Festival National Chess Team Championship held at the Dapitan City Cultural Centrum in Zamboanga del Norte.

TCC Chess defeated Gingoog City, 4-0, yesterday, a day after suffering a frustrating defeat at the hands of tournament leader Tagaytay City team.

IM Richard Bitoon manned Board 1 with ease, Voltaire Sevillano also dominated his opponent in Board 2, Merben Roque was all pumped up in Board 3 and Richard Natividad came up with brilliant moves in Board 4 to give Team Cebu City 6.5 points.

But the Cebu City chess players failed to sustain the momentum later in the afternoon against Team Stolich, which ended in a draw. Bitoon drew his match against Roderick Nava in Board 1, Sevillano lost to Geomel Balquin in Board 2, while Roque won his game against Mark Apalla in Board 3 and Natividad drew his game with Lennon Salgados in Board 4.

The fourth day of action gave TCC 8.0 points, which was good enough for the third place. TCC is currently tied with Surigao del Norte team, who also had 8.0 points. Bitoon, however, is confident of their chances to move up to the second place with their final game today.

Tagaytay led the tournament with 10.0 points, while Stolich is second place with 9.0 points. (RCM)

Handuraw chess 2008

At last, we have updates on the ongoing Handuraw Chess Festival 2008. We have to content ourselves with media reports since the tournament has no official website where we can watch live games and catch the latest feeds . . .


Stolich-Anya paces Handuraw national team chess
Updated December 19, 2008 12:00 AM (SOURCE)

DAPITAN City, Zamboanga del Norte – Stolich-Anya Corp. swept its first two matches against Sibugay (Zamboanga), 3.5-.5, and Iligan City, 2.5-1.5, to grab the solo lead after two rounds in the 2008 Handuraw Festival -Naitonal Chess Team Championship at the Dapitan City Cultural Center here.

Bannered by FM Roderick Nava and Johnnel Balquin, Stolich-Anya opened up a one-point lead over top seed Tagaytay City, second seed Cebu City, third seed Surigao del Sur, Aklan, CARAGA and host Dapitan City-B under the matchpoint style scoring system in this five-day competition organized by the National Chess Federation of the Philippines (NCFP), headed by president Prospero “Butch” Pichay, in cooperation with the Dapitan City government, thru Mayor Dominador Jalosjos Jr.

Nava (ELO 2270) crushed Rogelio Enriquez Jr. of Sibugay and halved the point with Fernandito Pialan of Iligan to lead the charge for Stolich-Anya.

Balquin, who bagged the gold medal in the recent Philippien Olympic Festival held in Cagayan de Oro City, trounced Martin Kwan of Sibugay and Carlito Daclan of Iligan City.

Tagaytay, led by GM Darwin Laylo and Allan Macala, dumped Camarines Sur (Bicol), 3.-5.5, in the first round but drew with Aklan, 2-2, in the second round.

Laylo humbled Edmundo Gatus of Camarines Sur and Wilfredo Neri of Aklan while Macala bested Agripino Camposano and Jan Francis Fernnadez.

Cebu City, bannered by IM Richard Bitoon and Voltaire Sevillano, crushed Davao del Norte, 3-1, in the first round but settled for a 2-2 draw with Dapitan City-B.

Bitoon overpowered Cedric Magno of Davao but drew with Ernesto Fernandez of Dapitan-B.
Surigao del Sur, led by newly minted GM John Paul Gomez, drew with CARAGA, 2-2, but won over Club 58 (Rizal), 4-0, to bounce back into contention.

Aklan, led by Neri, and CARAGA, headed by Abdullah Unding, also have three points after two rounds of action.

Asian Champions League

If my reading is right, then GM Wesley So's next stop will be the 1st Asian Champions League to be held in United Arab Emirates from December 24 to 31, 2008.

Can't wait to see him play again.

As we all know, the December 24-31 period is Christmas Season for those who celebrate it. Imagine Wesley playing on Christmas time!

The Philippine team is reported to be an all-GM team, to be composed of GM Wesley So, GM Mark Paragua, GM John Paul Gomez, and GM Darwin Laylo.

Please read the related news:

The first ever Asian Chess Champions League will be held here on Wednesday, under the patronage of Shaikh Hazza Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the President of Abu Dhabi Sports Council.

This was announced by Shaikh Sultan Bin Khalifa Bin Shakbout Al Nahyan, the president of the Asian Chess Confederation (ACC), at a press conference in the Inter Continental Hotel here.

Hosts Al Ain Chess and Culture Club will be one of the UAE representatives at the tournament, while the UAE Chess Federation will select one more team based on the performance of local clubs in competitions this season.

"It is our pleasure to announce that the first ever Asian Chess Champions League will be hosted by Al Ain Chess and Culture Club, with the cooperation of Abu Dhabi Sports Council, from December 24–31. We are hopeful that the new championship will help in spreading and improving the game in our continent," said Shaikh Sultan at the press conference.

The Asian Chess Champions League is the brainchild of Shaikh Sultan. It is part of his quest to spread the game in the continent, by organising new competitions at all levels.

"We have many more competitions brewing and in due time we will announce them. We aim to keep the Asian players busy all through the year, making them compete against each other. This will allow the players the chance to gain experience and improve their standards," Shaikh Sultan said.

Hosham Al Taher, the secretary general of the ACC, Mohammad Saleh Al Zarounie, the tournament director, Mehrdad Bahlavan, the director of the competition halls, and Saleh Abazaid, the coordinator of the tournament, attended the press conference.

Players from more than 20 countries, including India, Iran, Vietnam, China, hosts UAE, Lebanon, Jordan, Syria, Palestine, will be in the fray. The competition will involve seven rounds of contests, based on the Swiss system of points and pairing.

"Each club can bring in five players. Four players will take part in the matches, while one will be a reserve. The clubs are free to choose men's, women's or mixed teams," said Al Taher, explaining the rules of the competition.

The winners will earn $20,000 (Dh73,560) while the runners-up, third and fourth–placed teams will be richer by $12,000, $8,000 and $5,000, respectively. Source

When bloggers unite

I know how you feel about how the KL Open 2008 is being covered by the online media, especially when we want to get fresh updates about the campaigns of our Filipino players (Paragua, Villamayor, Sadorra, Chiong) participating in that tournament.

As we all know, the tournament has an official website. However, the way the official website handles the coverage of the tournament is simply disgusting.

At least, critics of the National Chess Federation of the Philippines (NCFP) could say "NCFP, hindi ka nag-iisa."

The good thing is that there is an unofficial website which is also covering the tournament. The unofficial coverage is not really ideal -- but at least, chess fans hungry of news about the tournament are somehow fed.

Interestingly, the unofficial website is the results of concerted efforts of four bloggers who are devoted to promoting the sports of chess.

You see? When bloggers unite for a good cause, something good happens.

Relatedly, we have an ongoing Handuraw Chess Festival 2008 in Dapitan City. This is a big event! But as of now, we are in the dark groping for any clues about what is happening in that event.

Perhaps, a blogger from that area can somehow put up a blog dedicated to that tournament?

Or, I'm calling to the organizers of that event. This blog offers its services for free to announce any updates about the Handuraw tournament.

KL Open 2008

Here is the performance of the Philippine contingent to the KL Open International Chess Championship 2008 after four rounds of play:

-- GM Bong Villamayor (3.0 points)
-- IM Julio Catalino Sadorra (3.0)
-- GM Mark Paragua (2.0)
-- IM Liung Chiong (2.0)

Two players are in the lead with 4.0 points (GM Anton Flippov of Uzbekistan and IM Rui Wang of China).

KL Open 2008

Four Filipino woodpushers are bannering the Philippine flag in the ongoing KL Chess Open 2008 at Bukil Jalil stadium in Malaysia.

GM Mark Paragua, GM Bong Villamayor, IM Julio Catalino Sadorra, and IM Luis Chiong have strong chances of bringing home the honors as they already stamped their class in the very first round of the tournament.

Here is the Round 1 game of GM Bong:

[Event "KL Open 2008"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2008.12.16"]
[Round "1"] [
White "GM Bong Villamayor"]
[Black "Yeap Eng Chiam"]
[Result "1-0"] [
ECO "D46"]
[PlyCount "71"]
[EventDate "2008.09.16"]
[SourceDate "2008.12.16"]

1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. e3 e6 5. Bd3 Nbd7 6. O-O Bd6 7. Nbd2 O-O 8. e4 dxe4 9. Nxe4 Nxe4 10. Bxe4 f5 11. Bc2 e5 12. Bg5 Be7 13. Bxe7 Qxe7 14. Nxe5 Nxe5 15. Re1 Rd8 16. Rxe5 Qxe5 17. dxe5 Rxd1+ 18. Rxd1 Be6 19. b3 Re8 20. f4 Kf7 21. Kf2 g6 22. h3 Ke7 23. Rd6 Rd8 24. c5 Rf8 25. a3 Rd8 26. b4 Rxd6 27. exd6+ Kf6 28. Bd3 a6 29. Ke3 h5 30. h4 Bd5 31. g3 Be6 32. Kd4 Bd7 33. Bc4 Be8 34. Kc3 Bd7 35. Kb3 Be8 36. Ka4 1-0


Here is the Round 1 game of IM Sadorra:

[Event "KL Open 2008"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2008.09.16"]
[Round "1"]
[White "Soon Wai Cheong"]
[Black "IM Julio Catalino Sandorra"]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "A14"]
[PlyCount "70"]
[EventDate "2008.09.16"]
[SourceDate "2008.09.16"]

1. Nf3 d5 2. c4 e6 3. g3 c5 4. Bg2 Nc6 5. O-O Nf6 6. b3 Be7 7. Bb2 O-O 8. d3 h6 9. Nbd2 d4 10. a3 a5 11. Qc2 e5 12. e3 Bf5 13. e4 Be6 14. h3 Ne8 15. Rae1 a4 16. Kh2 Nd6 17. Ng1 Qa5 18. f4 f6 19. Ngf3 b5 20. cxb5 Qxb5 21. bxa4 Qxa4 22. Qc1 Rfb8 23. Rf2 Qb5 24. fxe5 fxe5 25. Nb1 c4 26. dxc4 Bxc4 27. Ba1 Na5 28. Nbd2 Rf8 29. Nxc4 Naxc4 30. Bf1 Qb3 31. Bg2 Rxa3 32. Kg1 Bg5 33. Nxg5 Rxf2 34. Kxf2 Qxg3+ 35. Kg1 Ra2 0-1 (source: KL Open)

Handuraw chess festival 2008

The 2008 Handuraw Festival National Chess Team kicks runs from Dec. 17 up to Dec.21 at the Dapitan Cultural Center in Dapitan City.

It will be a five-day team tournament which entitles a participating team to field a minimum of four players and a maximum of five players.

Each team is allowed to field only one titled player (GM, IM, FM or NM).

The tournament is a nine-round event using the match point system wherein a team gets a maximum of two points for a win, one point for a draw and zero for a loss.

Prizes:
Champion -- P100,000
Runner-up -- P60,000
3rd placer -- P40,000
4th placer -- P30,000
5th placer -- P20,000
6th placer -- P10,000
7th placer -- P8,000
8th placer -- P7,000
9th placer -- P5,000
10th placer -- P5,000
Medals and cash prizes will also be given to the top individual performers from board one to board five. Each player will bring home P3,000 each.

Early team participants include Tagaytay City, Cebu, Bacolod, Misamis Oriental, Caraga Region, Surigao, Aklan and five teams from Davao.

IM Kim Steven Yap

Words are floating that the Philippines has a new International Master in the name of Kim Steven Yap (2386).

He rightfully deserved the title, earning it in his fresh stint in the Singapore Masters 2008.

His Round 1 game in the just concluded Singapore Masters was my favorite in that event.

I liked the game since he beat the No.1 seeded player of the tournament, GM Zhao Jun (2568) of China. Watch the game here.

I grabbed a short info about Kim:

"CHESS is in his blood. His father is NM Lincoln Yap, who is working as a chess instructor and arbiter in Singapore and his mother is Mona Ruelan, daughter of the late NM Marcelo “Loloy” Ruelan.

His uncle is IM Rico Yap Mascariñas, a chess coach in Singapore, who, for a long time, was the country’s second best player after Eugene Torre, and a Board 2 gold medalist in the 1982 Chess Olympiad in Lucerne, Switzerland! Another uncle is Fide arbiter Marvin Ruelan, who orchestrates a lot of the local tournaments." source: click here

It's not far from now that he will invade the 2400 mark.

KL International Open Chess Championship 2008

The KL International Open Chess Championship 2008 is set to kick off today (December 15) up to December 21 in Kuala Lumpur Malaysia.

My knowledge is that our Filipino players who participated in the just concluded Singapore Masters 2008 -- which our very own IM Richard Bitoon topped -- will fly straight to Kuala Lumpur to participate in the event.

How I wish for another Filipino to win this KL Open.

Notably, IM Bitoon and GM Mark Paragua made an emphatic 1-2 finish in the Singapore Masters.

It would be a Merry Christmas indeed if we make it 1-2-3 finish in KL.

Chess in our lives

I got this news from Inq7.net. This news item draw my interest since it reflects a real-life example of how chess influences -- negatively or positively -- the lives of those who are into it.


"DUMAGUETE CITY, Philippines – The Department of Justice has ordered the Dumaguete City Prosecutor's Office to withdraw libel charges against a defendant for lack of probable cause – three years after he was convicted of the crime.

"Thank you, Lord! The Lord is really good! Things are falling into place," Florendo Zamora, a chess teacher and organizer of chess tournaments here, declared upon receiving the DoJ resolution dated November 19, 2008.

However, the DoJ resolution signed by Justice Undersecretary Ernesto Pineda came too late. Zamora had, in fact, served his sentence.

Zamora had been sentenced to a prison term of four months by Judge Victor Patrimonio of RTC Branch 35 on Dec. 2, 2005 and slapped with a fine of P75,000 in moral damages for besmirching the reputation of chess National Master Rosendo Bandal, Jr., the presiding judge of RTC Branch 34 in Dumaguete City.

Bandal filed six counts of libel against Zamora and fellow chess player Alex Bangay in 2002 but only one case prospered, with Bangay cleared of all the charges.

Bandal, former president of the chess team Negros Club 64 where Zamora and Bangay are also members, had left the club over some differences and formed his own Chess Master's Club in 2002.

In May 2002, Bandal's club hosted the Governor's Cup Open Chess Team Tournament and Bandal placed a poster of the tournament in the Negros Club 64's headquarters.

Zamora, the court records showed, removed the poster and replaced it with a hand-written notice that said, when translated into English, "Hey! Practice being civilized. Please ask permission before posting."

Bandal said the handwritten notice gave readers the impression that he was uncivilized, ill mannered or impolite.

Lawyer Saleto Erames, Zamora's counsel for most of the trial, called the situation "a legal comedy."

"On one hand, the DoJ resolution would seem to render the trial void from the very beginning but on the other hand, there is the principle of estoppel," Erames told the Philippine Daily Inquirer.

Estoppel is the principle that precludes a person from asserting something contrary to what is implied by a previous action or statement of that person or by a previous pertinent judicial determination.

Erames said he gave a pro-bono legal assistance to Zamora, who entered a not guilty plea on February 2, 2004.

However, Erames said he withdrew as counsel when Zamora decided to change his plea to "guilty."

But for Bandal, the DoJ resolution clearing Zamora did not mean a thing.

"The ruling of DoJ does not divest the courts of jurisdiction. It has no legal significance insofar as his conviction is concerned," he said in a telephone interview.

Zamora was detained in jail right after his conviction. However, he was able to process his application for probation so he stayed in jail for only 11 days.

"I was released just before we were about to organize an inter-cell chess tournament," Zamora said.

Bandal did not require Zamora to pay the P75,000 fine, saying that he did not ask for money. By Alex PalVisayas BureauFirst Posted 22:01:00 12/13/2008"

Bitoon rules Singapore Masters

IM Richard Bitoon (2439) scored 6.5 points out of possile 9.0 to rule the 5th Singapore Masters International Open Tournament 2008.

Bitoon's draw in the final round against Thanh Son Nguyen (2434) of Vietnam was enough to put him in solo first place.

His rating performance of 2596 from four wins and five draws (no losses) might not be so impressive, but that earned him 19.5 Elo points.

Compatriot IM Julio Catalino was close with 6.0 points but landed only in 5th place due to tie breaks. (Other Filipino players are still playing as of this writing.)

Congratulations, IM Richard Bitoon!

Another Filipino player made the Philippines proud once again.

Mantra

Filipino boxing hero has this mantra: “You should not tell God about your big problem, but tell your problem you have a great God.”

See the wisdom in that mantra?

Can we apply this mantra to developing the Philippine chess?

OK, let’s have a little good time here. Let’s try to coin a new mantra based on Pacquiao’s mantra.

Pro-Pichay group: “You should not tell Pichay about the big problem in Philippine chess, but tell your problem you have a great Pichay.”

Anti-Pichay: “Tell Pichay that he is the problem in Philippine chess, and tell him to resign.”

In which group are you?

IM Bitoon leads 5th Singapore Masters

IM Richard Bitoon (2439) posted a perfect 3/3 performance in the ongoing 5th Singapore Masters International Open Tournament 2008, leading the eight-player Filipino contingent in the tournament.

Bitoon subdued GM Susanto Megaranto (2536) of Indonesia in the third round to be in the solo lead with 2984 rating performance.

Notably, IM Julio Catalino Sadorra bounced back strong after his shocking first-round loss by posting back-to-back wins to put himself in 16th place with 2.0 points.

Here is the performance of Filipino players after Round 3:

1st place -- IM Richard Bitoon (3.0 points)

3rd -- GM Mark Paragua (2.5)

5th -- Kim Steven Yap (2.5)

13th -- Dino Ballecer (2.0)

16th -- IM Julio Catalino Sadorra (2.0)

17th -- IM Oliver Dimakiling (1.5)

18th -- IM Luis Chiong (1.5)

25th -- Levi Mercado (1.5)

The tournament initially drew 56 participants from 19 countries.

GM Gonzales looking good

After a dismal performance in the Dresden Chess Olympiad, GM Jayson Gonzales is back in good form by piling up 4.0 points after five rounds in the ongoing III Internacional Ciutat de Palma in Spain.

Gonzales in now tied at 2nd place with eight other 4.0 pointers.

GM Eltaj Safarli (2568) of Azerbia is in the lead with 4.5 points with two others.

Playing White, Gonzales is pitted in Board 3 against No.6 seed GM Stanislav Savchenko (2565) of Ukraine in Round 6.

GM Gonzales playing against Mut Antonio Munar (2065) of Spain in Round 1.

All-GM RP squad to Asian meet

Just in case you missed this news from the newspapers, I am posting it here:

All-GM squad to Asian meet
So, Gonzales banner team
By Roy LuarcaPhilippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 04:10:00 12/10/2008

MANILA, Philippines—A crack all-Grandmaster squad will—for the first time—represent the Philippines when the Filipinos join the inaugural staging of the Asian Chess Club championship in Al Ain, United Arab Emirates, on Dec. 24 to 31.

Newly minted GM John Paul Gomez and the world’s youngest GM, Wesley So—the country’s best performers in last month’s Dresden Chess Olympiad—will spearhead the star-studded Tagaytay City team that will tangle with the region’s top squads for the $20,000 top purse.

Joining the 22-year-old Gomez and the 15-year-old So in the youthful team are Mark Paragua, once the country’s highest-rated player, and the equally talented Darwin Laylo.

“This is another golden chance for me to carry the country’s colors in a prestigious event,” said Gomez, who earned his GM title by scoring a team-best 7.5 points in Dresden.

“It will entail some sacrifices because we’ll be away from our family this Christmas.”

So, who emerged as the only unbeaten Filipino in Dresden with 7.0 points, will again man the top board for the team being supported by National Chess Federation of the Philippines president Prospero “Butch” Pichay and Tagaytay Mayor Abraham Tolentino.

The event, organized by the Al Ain Chess Club in cooperation with the Abu Dhabi Sports Council and the UAE Chess Federation, stakes a total cash prize of $50,000. The runner-up and third placer will get $12,000 and $8,000, respectively.

Cash prizes of $5,000 for boards one to five shall be awarded based on performance rating with $500 for gold, $300 for silver and $200 for bronze medals.

Kim Steven Yap

Kim Steven Yap (2386) made the best performance (in my opinion) among Filipino winners in the first round of the 5th Singapore International Chess Festival 2008 after beating No.2-seed GM Jun Zhao (2568) of China.

Let's see how our Filipino mind warriors fared in Round 1:

Winners (Round 1):
Kim Steven Yap (1.0)
GM Mark Paragua (1.0)
IM Oliver Dimakiling (1.0)
IM Richard Bitoon (1.0)
Dino Ballecer (1.0)

Draw (Round 1)
IM Luis Chiong (0.5)

Losers (Round 1):
IM Julio Catalino Sadorra (0.0)
Levi Mercado (0.0)

A good start overall by our Filipino campaigners.

Click here for official results.

Round 1 shocker

IM Catalino Sadorra (2431) suffered a first-round shocking defeat in the hands of a lower rated Jonathan Koh (2155) of Singapore at the start of the 5th Singapore International Chess Festival 2008.

Updated Round 1 pairings

Please disregard the previous post with the title "GM Paragua in early debacle." The updated list showed that GM Paragua was already paired for Round 1 on Board 5 against a beautiful lady.

The previous post was based on the earlier pairings posted by chessresults.com.

GM Paragua in early debacle

GM Mark Paragua, the highest rated Filipino campaigner in the 5th Singapore Masters International Open Tournament 2008, was not paired in Round 1 – an early debacle that could surely affect his campaign in the said event.

The six other Filipino campaigners (Bitoon, Sadorra, Ballecer, Yap, Luis, Mercado) did not encounter the same problem.

I suspect that Paragua was not able to attend the required meeting for all participants prior to the tournament proper to be allowed to have a pairing in Round 1.

As the tournament’s rulings stipulated, all participants who did not attend the required meeting will only be paired starting Round 2.

Click here for Round 1 pairings.

GM Jayson Gonzales campaigns in Spain

GM Jayson Gonzalez has piled up 3.0 points after four rounds of the III Open Internacional Ciutat De Pala Trofeo Iberostar that is taking place from December 6 to 14 at the Aparthotel Iberostar Royal Christina in Spain.

Seeded No.17, Gonzales is now tied at 9th place with 23 other 3.0 pointers. He is in 27th place using the tie break system.

Gonzales is the lone Filipino campaigner in this event which drew 128 players from 26 countries.

Here is the official site of the event.

Hou Yifan and Wesley So

Chinese Hou Yifan is now the youngest female grandmaster, making it as the 11th youngest grandmaster in history.

Hou achieved the feat at her age of 14 years, 6, months, and 1 day.

The Chinese girl wonder’s ascension to the list of chess prodigies did not alter our very own GM Wesley So’s ranking as the 7th youngest. GM Wesley got this elite honor at his age of 14 years, 1 month, and 28 days in 2007.

GM Wesley So is so far the only Filipino chess player who made it to the top 20 chess prodigies in the history of chess – a distinct achievement indeed.

Manny Pacquiao Open International Chess Cup?

We all know that Manny Pacquiao is highly fond of sports – chess included.

We also know the fact that Pacquiao is so involved into sports not only as a player but as a supporter in terms of financial support.

For instance, he likes and plays billiard. There’s now a Manny Pacquiao Cup International 9-Ball Open.

He likes and plays darts. The Manny Pacquiao P2-M International Darts Classic was already realized.

He likes and plays basketball. There’s already such a thing as Manny Pacquiao Cup Invitational Basketball.

He likes and plays chess. Logic follows . . .

If Shell Pilipinas stages its own international chess championship (hopefully), plus the very possible Manny Pacquiao Open International Chess Cup, it would be a great boost to our local players.

Perhaps, a single word is enough to convince Manny Pacquiao.

What if the likes of GM Wesley So, GM John Paul Gomez, Cherdine Cheradee Camacho and other young world-class players flock to Pacquiao and convince the great Filipino boxing hero to be a Philippine chess hero this time?

Asian Junior Chess Championship 2008

The Asian Junior & Girls Under–20 Chess Championships is now running in Chennai, India (Dec.5 to Dec.14).

The Philippines did not send even a single participant to this event.

The reason may be that the event is so insignificant it doesn't deserve any attention.

Another reason may be the perennial lack of funding. I really don't know why.

And also, I just wonder why this event is called the "Asian Junior Championship." The participants are mainly Indians and some participants are from Bangladesh, Tajikistan, Sri Lanka, and Nepal.

Does this event derve to be called an Asian Junior Championship?

7 Filipinos to join Singapore Masters

Seven Filipinos have registered to participate in the 5th Singapore Masters International Open Tournament 2008 which will kick off on December 9 up to December 15.

The seven Filipino participants (as of December 5):

SNo.8 GM Mark Paragua (2526)
SNo.18 IM Richard Bitoon (2439)
SNo.19 IM Julio Catalino Sadorra (2431)
SNo.23 Dino Ballecer (2410)
SNo.29 Kim Steven Yap (2386)
SNo.30 IM Chiong Luis (2361)
SNo.42 Levi Mercado (2257)

The tournament is a 53-man strong field which, notably, is dominated by Vietnamese players numbering to as many as 11.

GM Kuzubov Yuriy (2622) of Ukraine is the No.1 seed.

1st Korea Open Chess Tournament

IM Catalino Sadorra (2431) and IM Oliver Dimakiling (2448) placed 8th and 13th respectively in the 1st Korea Open Chess Tournament that was staged by the Korea Chess Federation from December 1 - 5, 2008.

Sadorra piled up 6.0 points and Dimakiling, 5.5 points after nine rounds. They were the only Filipinos who participated in the tournament which drew 47 players from different countries.

An untitled Chinese player Yang Kaiqi (2429) topped the event after posting 6.5 points.

Here is IM Sadorra's performance:

Here is IM Dimakiling's performance:

Jose Rizal and chess

Was Dr. Jose Rizal, national hero of the Philippines, the first chess master in the country?

I came across a historic account about Rizal that he was a chess master.

The account reads:

Tomas Arejola says that "such was his punctuality and his enthusiasm for study that he would abandon any ceremony, no matter how important it might be, if the hour he had previously arranged had arrived, and go home to his books. A certain hour of the day he played chess (at which he was a master.) But even though the moment of most intense interest had come, such as being able to checkmate the king or queen, if the clock marked the time his schedule said he should do something else, he would get up and leave, and no pressure from his friends could persuade him to change his mind." Source: joserizal.info

Just in case you're wondering why I post this blog, it's simply because December 30 (Rizal Day) is near.

Rizal's Chess Set. You may note that it was designed for travel with holes put in the board to hold the chess pieces securely.

Jan Jodilyn Fronda

I've already posted a few notes about the promising Filipina teenager Jan Jodilyn Fronda whithout her photos though.

So here are her pictures, and see the angelic face that can unleash deadly tricks -- over the board.

Funding

I totally disagree that money is the root cause why Philippine chess does not progress.

Money is just one of the key requirements to advance any sports project. Chess, basketball, billiards, boxing, etc., they all need money to thrive.

But it's not only MONEY that is all needed. MONEY is just a tool, not the end goal.

If we are to put MONEY first as a requirement in starting a sports project -- a community chess development, for instance -- nothing truly constructive can happen.

A mindset which says that it all boils down to budget equates to a bureaucratic, lazy, passive attitude. That's the reasoning of rotten, traditional bureaucrats and politicians.

Pera muna bago ang proyekto? This paradigm is totally screwed and pathetic.Budget does not just come. We must work for it!

The chess community should be able to show first that it is worth spending for before asking for funding.

(I originally posted this blog in the Philippine Chess Forum. I just wanted to share it with you here.)

Shercila Cua

Shercila Cua started strong in Dresden Chess Olympiad, but somehow lost her momentum in the course of the tournament to finish her crusade with a 4/9 performance.

Her 4.0 points came from a 3-2-4 (win-draw-loss) record.

Alarmingly, her rating is in a steep downtrend from a maximum of 2244 Elo points (April 2006) to a minimum of 2154 (October 2008).

We wish her good luck in her future endeavors.

Here is a tactic that she successfully used to score her first full point in the very first round of the Dresden Olympiad.

White to move. Position after 19. . . Bc6. A simple tactic won a pawn for Cua and ultimately the game.

Watch the full game here.

Parents' role

A friend lent me a book titled “How Life Imitates Chess” written by Garry Kasparov.

Sharing a book is one of the best gestures to contribute to mankind. It’s a long held wisdom that knowledge must be shared.

The very first pages of the book already offer ideas really worth pondering on.

Take for instance the great role that parents play in developing the attitude of kids toward chess.

Kasparov put it very plainly:

“I worked hard because my mother taught me to.”

A very simple statement. A statement usually ignored. But once we pause and pay attention to this idea, and internalize it, and understand why Kasparov emphasized it, only then can we realize its true essence.

Attitude can be taught! And the best time to mold the iron rod is when it’s still hot.

Docena, Suede, Bersamina

Jerad Docena topped the Kiddies Division of the Theree-Age Category 3rd Burol Main 1950 below Chess Tournament staged by the Dasmarinas Chess Association (DCA).

Mikee Suede bagged the second top honor, who I guess is related to a cute lady Akiko Suede.

The third place went to Paulo Bersamina, who could have topped the Kiddies Division if not for a loss against the eventual champion Docena.

In their previous match, Bersamina beat Docena in the grand finals of the Shell National Youth Active Chess Championship. (Photos taken during SNYACC 2008. I have no photo of Mikee.)

Board prize achievers

Not one of our Filipino players won any medal in the just concluded Dresden Chess Olmpiad, but some had showcased a performance good enough to make it among the Top 20 Board Prize achievers.

MEN's TEAM

Board 2

Name: GM Wesley So
Ranking: No.11
Rating Performance: 2689
Points: 7.0

Board 4

Name: IM John Paul Gomez
Ranking: No.19
Rating Performance: 2585
Points: 7.5

Board 5

Name: GM Darwin Laylo
Ranking: No.19
Rating Performance: 2440
Points: 3.5

WOMEN's TEAM

Board 4

Name: Chardine Cheradee Camacho

Ranking: No.17

Rating Performance: 2276

Points: 8.0

Board 5

Name: Christy Lamiel Bernales
Ranking: No.15

Rating Performance: 1992
Points: 5.5

Just a point to consider: let's not be contented with just being among the Top 20. Let's always strive to be No.1.

Bird's eye view

Undeniably (at least for me), it's best to play chess if you have a clear view of the board (unless you're playing blindfold, of course).


As we know it, Filipino players -- due to our inherent medium body structure -- use double-padded monoblock chairs when playing in tournaments to see the game from a bird's eye view.


No wonder why the 'mirons,' the ones wathching the games in standing position, see the game better than the ones who are actually playing.


It's really interesting to note that I had this actual experience of wacthing the grand finals of the Shell National Youth Active Chess Champioship 2008 from a perfect bird's eye view.


Since the event was held at the ground floor of SM Megamall, I went up to the second floor, and presto, what a view to behold! I was able to watch a lot of games clearly from one location.

Just imagine that you're one of those chess fans watching from the second floor.

This is the view from the second floor -- a perfect bird's eye view!

A tip on solving chess problems

Here is a tip on how to solve a chess problem, specifically for beginners who are engaged in self-study.

I got this advice from the chess material “Comprehensive Chess Course Vol.1: Learn Chess in 12 Lessons” by GM Lev Alburt, which was described by GM Garry Kasparov as a “once-secret Russian method of chess training.”

By the way, the chess material was generously given to me by a friend who, I think, has one of the largest collections of chess literature in the Philippines.

The tip reads:

“When asked to solve problems or to answer various
questions, we recommend
that players spend no more than five to 10
minutes on most positions; the
point is not so much to test yourself as to
understand the chess meaning of
the answers given elsewhere and to
acquire needed knowledge.”

I used to spend a day or three in solving a certain chess problem or position. What a folly of me!

So remember, when solving a certain chess problem, do not spend more than 10 minutes for it. If you can’t solve it, look for the provided answer and UNDERSTAND how the solution was arrived at and ACQUIRE the KNOWLEDGE.

RP Team members' performance

Here is the list of RP Team members showcasing their performance in the Dresden Olympiad, arranged according to scored points.

Chardine Cheradee Camacho 8.0 points
IM John Paul Gomez 7.5
GM Wesley So 7.0
Christy Lamiel Bernales 5.5
Daisy Rivera 4.0
Shercila Cua 4.0
GM Jayson Gonzales 3.5
GM Darwin Laylo 3.5
Catherine Pereña 3.0
GM Bong Villamayor 2.0

I highlighted the names of those who performed well (in my opinion).

Notable notes:

- Gomez got his GM title (unofficial)
- Camacho got her WIM title (unconfirmed and unofficial)
- So never dropped a single game
- Only Gomez was allowed to play 11 games
- Rivera and Gonzales had the least number of games played with 7 games each
- Both Board 1 players (Bong and Pereña) produced the lowest points
- The four youngest members of the team produced the highest points

ASEAN final rankings

Here are the FINAL RANKINGS of ASEAN chess federations in the just concluded Dresden Chess Olympiad. Let's see how the Philippines performed compared with our ASEAN counterparts.

Men's Team
No.9 Vietnam (SNo.37)
No.46 Philippines (SNo.38)
No.52 Indonesia (SNo.69)
No.62 Singapore (SNo.78)
No.96 Malaysia (SNo.73)
No.100 Thailand (SNo.97)

Women's Team
No.26 Vietnam (SNo.24)
No.42 Indonesia (SNo.67)
No.43 Philippines (SNo.51)

Congratulations, Vietnam! As for the Philippines, wake up!

When I say wake up, I mean the whole RP Team must perform as a TEAM -- with an end goal of doing what is best for the COUNTRY.

Prioritzing any other agenda is unpatriotic.

Final push

As they say, save the best for last.

Let’s admit it, the RP Team as a whole (men and women) has performed below standard in the Dresden Olympiad.

Going into the last round, we only rank 53rd (men), far below our No.38 initial ranking, and 54th (women), which is slightly below our initial ranking of No.51.

Yes, there were some instances of excellence.

We used to address “The Pope” as an IM. If the reports are true, let’s now accustom ourselves with calling him a GM.

GM Wesley proved that he can play against truly world class players (it seemed to me that even super GMs already feel his chess powers and are satisfied having a draw against him).

Chardine Cheradee Camacho showed that she is the brightest female hope of our land when it comes to chess.

Christy Lamiel Bernales is another promising revelation.

And now that they are into the final round, let’s pray that the whole RP Team give its very best and leave a decent impression.

Go, Philippines!

GM John Paul Gomez

According to GM Susan Polgar's blog, John Paul Gomez is the country's new grandmaster (as reported by Ed Andaya).

Reportedly, GM John Paul "The Pope Gomez" earned the GM title after securing a draw with GM Viktor Laznicka of the Czech Republic in the 9th round of the Dresden Olympiad.

If the reports are true, then we have a reason to celebrate for in our participation in this Olympiad.

Perhaps, achieving that goal was the main reason why Team Captain Eugene Torre allowed "The Pope" to play ALL 11 ROUNDS without rest.

In fact, only "The Pope" -- of all the RP Team members including the Ladies -- is the only Filipino player who has been given the opportunity to play from start to finish.

That could also be the reason why GM Bong Villamayor is giving way to the youngsters -- what a role to play.

I don't know if producing another Filipino GM (under Pichay's watch) is the MAIN agenda behind RP's participation in the Dresden Olympiad.

Is there a script for that? If indeed there is, what a perfectly played out script!

Photo medicines

Just in case you missed these pictures that define human drama in chess . . .

And of course, may these pictures lessen the pain we are experiencing right now due to our not-so-encouraging performance in the Dresden Olympiad.

This picture of a father-and-son tandem best defined the real essence of the 1st Malibay Chess Club Mini-Chess Tournament. It was all about bonding and enjoyment -- especially between parents and kids.

Nothing compares to a mother's love. Paulo Bersamina's mother, Mrs. Rosalie S. Bersamina, is all-support to his priceless son, shown here protecting her gem from the scorching heat of the sun.

Dresden Tactics

I have here two tactical puzzles executed by two members of the RP Team in the ongoing Dresden Olympiad.

Could you identify the correct moves as well as the player who made those moves (for the sake of those who were not able to watch these particular games)?

Tactics #1.

Black had just played 19.Bxe5. Can you find the best move for White? And who is the player in White?

Tactics #2

Black had just played 14. . . Nd7. What's the best continuation for White? Who's White?

Blemished

Erstwhile clean records of Chardine Cheradee Camacho and IM John Paul "The Pople" Gomez are gone.

Camacho and Gomez suffered their first setbacks in Round 8 to their respective opponent from the Dominican Republic and Netherlands, respectively.

Camacho's record got stalled at 6 points while Gomez remained with 5.5 points, with both players having played 8 games in a row.

So now, going into Round 9, only GM Wesley So parades an unblemished performance.

I personally feel that RP Men's Team performance in Round 8 served as a wakeup call for Philippine chess.

You see, we're almost blanked by Netherlands -- a federation which was BEATEN by VIETNAM!

In fact, VIETNAM held a draw with China -- a federation which DEFEATED the Philippines.

Round 8 was just fine for RP's Women Team. At least it was a draw. The painful thing, however, was that Camacho tasted her first (and hopefully last) loss.

Kids lead the way

After seven rounds of play, Chardine Cheradee Camacho, IM John Paul Gomez, and GM Wesley So have remained unscathed in Dresden.

Could you believe it? It is a very young Filipina who leads the RP Team (Men and Women) in Dresden!

Going to Round 8, Camacho parades 6.0 points (5 wins, 2 draws); Gomez, 5.5 points (4 wins, 3 draws); and So, 4.5 points (3 wins, 3 draws).

Indeed, our youngsters are the ones who wave the Philippine flag in Germany.

After Round 7:

Camacho (Women’s)
- 8th best player according to points
- 17th best player according to percentage

Gomez (Open)
- 19th best player according to points

So (Open)
- 38th best player according to rating performance (2734)

GM Bong Villamayor

After seven rounds of play, GM Bong Villamayor (2468), who was tasked to man Board 1, has yet to produce his first win.

In fact, he is now the only RP Team member, who hasn’t erected a 1.0 record after a game.

So far, he has piled up 1.5 points out of possible 5.0 (3 draws, 2 losses) for a rating performance of 2392.

Disappointing? NO.

For me, he’s doing a great job in Dresden – a true team player who creates the unseen good things happening for the whole RP Team.

For one, he obliged (I guess) to the wishes of the Filipino fans who clamored to see a So-Shirov match (a game, sad to say, that did not live up to expectations).

He side stepped to give our youngsters the opportunity to play against world class players and help achieve their full potentials.

Yes, he hasn’t posted YET a 1.0 score. But his best value, I guess, lies behind the numbers.

Bobby Ang

Bobby Ang, the country's No.1 chess journalist, dropped me an email and said:

Hi!

I like your blog. (Some texts deleted)

bobby ang

It's indeed an honor to receive such a compliment from Mr. Ang.

Thank you very much, Sir!

ASEAN chess update

After Round 6 of the Dresden Chess Olympiad, let's see how the Philippines is faring compared with other ASEAN chess federations.

Men's Team
No.15 Vietnam (from No.21 in Round 5, UP by 6 notches)
No.44 Philippines (from No.28 in Round 5, DOWN by 16 notches)
No.65 Indonesia (from No.52 in Round 5, DOWN by 13 notches)
No.70 Singapore (from No.91 in Round 5, UP by 21 notches)
No.81 Malaysia (from No.59 in Round 5, DOWN by 21 nothces)
No.103 Thailand (from No.122 in Round 5, UP by 19notches)

Women's Team
No.9 Vietnam (from No.18 in Round 5, UP by 9 notches)
No.48 Indonesia (from No.57 in Round 5, UP by 9 notches)
No.67 Philippines (from No.58 in Round 5) DOWN by 9 notches)

Let kids cry

Another impression from the Shell National Youth Active Chess Championship 2008.

My heart really melted for those kids who cried it out after losing important games during SNYACC 2008 grand finals.

I saw more than one kid who cried after losing their respective games.

I consider their crying a good sign – that is, they really put to heart their chess life.

Let’s hope that the rich tears they are shedding now become jewels of wisdom and success in the future.

Killer look

This time, a respite from the Dresden Olympiad.

Still vivid in my mind is a lingering impression about the grand finals of the 16th Shell National Youth Active Chess Championship that took place in SM Megamall.

I just noticed that there were some young players – all the participants were young in the first place – who beamed a “killer look” toward their respective opponent in the opposite side of the board after making a move.

For the purpose of this post, I define “killer look” as a manner of looking at somebody as if the one looking will devour the person being looked at.

As I observed, the gesture usually happened when these “killer-looking” kids were on a strong position, or had just executed a strong move.

I don’t know if this kind of gesture is natural for a chess player. I don’t know if this kind of attitude is, taught, learned, or what.

Daisy Rivera

Weeks before the Dresden Chess Olympiad, a chess lover in Edang, Pasay City said he would invite Daisy Rivera to his baranggay to do a simul for the young kids.

Rev. Larry Teodoro, a true chess lover and community leader, train a number of kids in his barangay to involve the youth in sports, particularly chess.

I did not know that time that Daisy Rivera will be a member of RP's Women Team to the Dresden Chess Olympiad now taking place in Germany.

As you already knew, Daisy has so far scored 1.0 point out of two games in Dresden. I hope she's given a board assignment again in Round 6 and go for the win.

How we wish that Daisy grants the request of the youth from Edang afte her patriotic mission in Germany.

Good luck, Daisy!

Here are some of the tactics that I spotted in Daisy's Round 5 game:

Maroroa,Sue (1938) - Rivera,Daisy (2073)

Chess Olympiad 2008 Dresden

(5.38)

17.11.2008

Position after 20.Bd3. Black to move. Can you guess Daisy's next move?

Position after 3.b4. Can you spot Daisy's next move?

Watch the complete game here