1st Philippine Internet Team Chess Match: How history unfolds

It was possible. It was done. It was history.

Two local chess clubs braved the excitement and uncertainties of an online technology-based team chess match, trumpeting a new development in Philippine chess.

The Barangay Wesley Chess Club (Manila) and the Metro Toril Chess Club (Davao) met in cyberspace (chesscub.com) last April 16 for the staging of the momentous 1st Philippine Internet Team Chess Match.

More than history, this event brought out - and demonstrated - the natural good side of man.

More than winning, this remarkable undertaking proved the priceless joy that only trust, brotherhood, and a burning passion for the game of chess could bring.

For the record, the Atty. Jong Guevarra-led Metro Toril Chess Club beat the Capt. Norlito Sepulvida-led BW via a 16-8 demolition.

Let's relive how the demolition went through:

The Cafe Kalayaan -- the castle of Barangay Wesley -- as viewed from atop. Some of the BW members arrived so early at Robinsons in Imus, Cavite. The mall was still closed when we got there. Don't be mistaken though for there's more than meets the eye. This almost empty space is filled with excitement and passion!

Preparing for a bloody battle ahead. BW members preparing their armory. Everybody excited.

At the center is Capt. Norlito Sepulvida, a.k.a. sugardom, shown here busy assigning his soldiers to man their respective post. The passion, dedication, will, and action of this man could simply melt and move a rock. He, together with Atty. Jong Guevarra, a.k.a. metrolirot, of the Metro Toril Chess Club, is the top brains of this historic project.

And so the games begin! Is there justice in war? The youngest member of the BW Team, 13-year-old FM Paulo Bersamina, the country's youngest reigning chess master and the youngest ever juniors champ, manning the most difficult post in Board 1. Here, Paulo (based in Cavite) is playing against equally talented ASEAN age-group champ Austin Jacob Literatus (based in Davao).

Everybody in serious, deep mode. It's the historic victory that's at stake here, you know!

Believe me, everybody's so serious indeed. It's so peaceful outside yet so bloody inside. No beauty queen could distract the full-mode concentration of these guys, hehe. Please pay attention to the right, upper corner of this photo. C0uld you see the one huddling on a cellphone? Meet wordfunph, the man called "the prez." He's busy fixing minor problems in online pairings. Well, it's always hard the first time.

This is how the Metro Toril Chess Club does it in Davao.

Sugardom (holding a paper) shown here still busy while the games are on. Since this is the first of its kind in the Philippine chess scene, some technological glitches could not be avoided.

I wish that the organizers of national chess tournaments do something like this - a live blow-by-blow account of what's happening. Here, joeyj religiously does the broadcast as the "killings" happen.

And the result? It's 8-4 in Round 1 in favor of the Davao-based players. The BW castle is washed away just like how the raging waves wash away a sand castle.

Time for BW to rebuild its heavily damaged castle in Round 2. But the waves from Davao rage again, completely eroding the BW stronghold (hehe, let me use this term) via another 8-4 whipping.

As the blogger joeyj put it, the "OFFICIAL" results of the 1st Philippine Internet Chess Team Match went in favor of the Metro Toril Chess Club at the expense of the Barangay Wesley Chess Club via a 16-8 rout.

Now, it's time for the OTB part - that is, the over-the-taBle fight (kainan na..............!!!) After the historic online match , we had a five-minute ride to the stronghold of Capt. Sepulvida - the ODP Office Needs Depot. Wow, at the entrance we're greeted by the endorsement banner of no less than the country's No.1 chess player GM Wesley So. By the way, the blue car belongs to kidsgambit2 who gave us (Rusticbull, Spartan, Epistle, and Angel) a free ride to and from the venue.

T'was indeed a "family" welcome for all of us at the stronghold of sugardom. The "Twin Rooks" of iced tea greeted us on our way to the dining area. Look at the "Twin Rooks" again . . . and again . . . to test your graphic memory later.

"Saan po ang hugasan ng kamay?" I asked the beautiful wife of sugardom. I mated this sinigang na sugpo in just a matter of few minutes, with a finger-lickin' gusto, hehe.

I'm a fish lover. This tuna steak made me forget my Round 1 loss to Metro Toril's Sir moulicule.

No, this is not the famed kalderetang kambing as popularized by wordfunph over BW, but just the looks of it could prove that it's just as delicious.

Angel said spartan mated two sticks of this sumptuous delight. If you see Bishops in those pointed sticks, then you must be a certified chess addict!

How about some Japanese taste of sushi and sashimi? Wow, kidsgambit loves sashimi so much. Any idea how much he mated? Let it be a puzzle.

For the fruit lovers, cute cuts of watermelon could suffice. If you see files and columns in this pile of cuts, you must be more than a chess addict!!

But if you prefer the bigger cut, there are still many for you. Just remember, you have the advantageous position if you control the center. Grab it first!!

For gambit players, perhaps they can benefit from the adrenaline rush coming from the hot Korean kimchi. Ewan ko lang 'pag di umusok ilong nyo!

Ah . . . more food. This time, Mexican nachos. Kaya mo pa ba?

Kapag nakaabot ka pa rito, matindi talaga bodega mo (say it in English and it won't have the same effect, hehe)

OTB na!! Bakbakan na.............

Is the 8-16 loss still in their faces?

wordfunph showing off the chessgames.com T-shirt prize. pulsar won it from chessgames.com's puzzle contest.

Haven't I told you to pay close attention to the "Twin Rooks" of iced tea? See the difference?

Kidsgambit2 does a fatherly service to spartan, the youngest member of the group. BW members there were in unison: "Kapag GM ka na, 'wag mo kaming kalimutan ha."

If there's a preparation for the Iced Tea boys, then there's also one for the beer boys. The videoke simply awaits whoever has the courage to belt it out. The bottles of beer are also tempting to those who want to forget the 8-16 demolition. Ah, the boys really took the beating to the heart, hehe. Nobody was in the mood to sing. Not one got hold of the microphone.

They instead engaged in 3/3 blitz to amuse themselves. At the center is Mrs. Sepulvida, the very supportive wife of sugardom.

Faces of BW members that made the historic 1st Philippine Internet Team Chess Match a reality.

Faces of Metro Toril Chess Club members that made the historic 1st Philippine Internet Team Chess Match a reality.

No less than GM Wesley So "thanked" us for visiting sugardom's stronghold at ODP Office Needs Depot in Cavite. The "come again" invite simply looks irresistible.