Much of what's posted below came from almost a week of none reading and opening of my inbox. We have of course contribution from NM Marlon Bernardino, Mr. Manny Benitez. We also received emails from Chess Arbiters Association of the Philippines and someone from North Vancouver.
Here they are...
From NM Marlon Bernardino:
DEL MUNDO IS US OPEN CHESS CO-CHAMP
FOLLOWING his recent first place win at the World Open chess in Philadelphia, Anton Paolo del Mundo tied for first with five grandmasters and one international master at the US Open held at the Crown Plaza in Cherry Hill, New Jersey held from July 31 to August 5.
Playing brilliantly, Del Mundo racked five straight wins in the last 5 rounds to score 7.5 points out of nine rounds and tied with GMs Alexander Shabalov, Boris Gulko, Sergey Kudrin, Michael Rhode and IM Benjamin Finegold. Trailing by half a point going to the last round, Del Mundo won his game against rising star John Rouleau of Maryland but caught up with the GMs who ended with draws despite an apparent effort by most of them to go for solo first.
Del Mundo has recently radically changes his playing style. He has not been playing for about two years after the Minnesota HB Global
Challenge in 2005 where he won the Under 2400 title. Del Mundo is a software engineer, and had graduated from University of Maryland, College Park.
After preparing for the tournaments, Del Mundo said that he has improved with "a better positional understanding." Some of his games
can be seen at monroi.com which offered live coverage of the US Open.
In his game with Rouleau, Del Mundo adopted a hypermodern style and allowed Rouleau to attack with his black pieces, but with most of its queenside pieces undeveloped. Rouleau resigned when Del Mundo sacrificed a knight then a rook, but taking the pieces was worse for Rouleau. Rouleau resigned after 27 moves.
Another Filipino, IM Enrico Sevillano of California, showed a strong finish with 6.5 points. He was stopped from contending for the top
prize when he lost to GM Michael Rohde in the penultimate round.
IM BANCOD,WNM PERENA DOMINATES ASIAN INDOOR GAME CHESS ELIMS
Final Standings:
(Men Division)
8.0 points---IM Ronald Bancod
7.5 points---IM Wesley So
7.0 points---NM Rolando Nolte
6.0 points---IM Jayson Gonzales, IM Barlo Nadera, FM Roderick Nava, NM Arlan Cabe
5.0 points---IM Richard Bitoon
4.0 points---NM Emmanuel Senador, NM Alex Milagrosa
3.5 points---NM Mirabeau Maga
3.0 points---FM Fernie Donguines
(Women Division)
7.0 points---WNM Catherine Perena
6.5 points---WNM Sherily Cua
6.0 points---WIM Sheerie Joy Lomibao
5.5 points---WNM Cheradee Chardine Camacho
5.0 points---Yulp Ylem Jose, WNM Shercila Cua
3.5 points---WIM Beverly Mendoza
2.5 points---WNM Christy Lamiel Bernales
2.0 points---WIM Cristine Rose Mariano, WNM Kimberly Jane Cunanan
INTERNATIONAL MASTER Ronald Bancod of Quezon City and Woman National Master Catherine Perena of Caloocan City topped their respective division in the just concluded 2007 National Chess Federation of the Philippines (NCFP) qualification tournament to this year's Macau Asian Indoor Game Chess Championships late Saturday at the Mahogany Hotel in Tagaytay City.
Ronald, younger brother of journalist Reynaldo Bancod, made a quick 9 moves draw over Fellow IM Richard Bitoon in their English Duel to finish five wins and six draws in a total of 8.0 points in this 11-round tournament, half a point ahead of GM-candidate Wesley So and a full points ahead of third placer NM Rolando Nolte.
On the other hand, So, who will head the four-man RP team to the World Under-16 Olympiad in Singapore later this week, agreed 7 moves draw to elimination top notcher NM Alex Milagrosa in their Reti Opening Game.
In the women's side, WNM Perena finished with 7.0 points, half a point ahead with runner-up WNM Sherily Cua and full point ahead with tournament favorites WIM Sheerie Joy Lomibao in this tournament was organized by the NCFP, led by NCFP president Butch Pichay and secretary-general Bambol Tolentino, to determine the country's representative to the Asian Indoor Game in Macau this October and the members of the national training pool.
CAAP news:
CAAP Announces its 2nd Arbitration Seminar on Aug.10-12, 2007 @ Pan de Amerikana Restaurants at 92 Gen. Ordoñez Conception 2 Marikina City. Registration is a 1st come 1st served basis, contact the ff: for details – NA Rey Colitoy (09195291693) NA Ferdie (09184873785), NA Rudy Ibañez (09208460780) Pls. pass thanks.
Reg.fee – P1,500.00 inclusive of handouts and free lunch. Speakers are composed of International Arbiters and National Arbiters.
Active event in North Vancouver:
‘Anna Politkovskaya memorial’
Date: August 15, 22, 2007 (Wednesday nights)
Place: Mollie Nye House, 940 Lynn Valley Road, North Vancouver
Rounds: 5
Type: Active CFC-rated round robin (6-players)
Times: 7 pm
TC: SD 30 active chess control
EF: $10
Prizes: 1st ChessBase data CD for clear first.
Reg/TD/Org: interested players please e-mail or call CTD Vas Sladek, 604-562-3736,
vas@chessfirst.com
Sets, clocks and scoresheets provided; CFC membership required; parking west of the building.
The Weekender:
Torre RP’s No. 1 in new Fide listing
THE World Chess Federation has issued a corrected version of the list of Filipino players showing that Eugene Torre is now the country’s No.1 player with Elo 2536, the same one he had on the first list issued by Fide on July 1, 2007.
GM Joey Antonio, who is still in California, had his rating reduced from 2539 to 2532, pushing him down to No. 2, still ahead of GM Mark Paragua, who still had 2525 as in the first listing.
In an email, executive director Sammy Estimo of the National Chess Federation of the Philippines officially notified The Weekender about the correction, which he said was due to the non-inclusion of one loss Antonio had, to NM Ernesto Fernandez of Zamboanga City, in the Philippine Open held last April at Subic Freeport, in the earlier listing.
The new listing carries the names of John Paul Gomez and Julio Catalino Sadorra for the first time as international masters with 2469 and 2421, respectively. In the first listing neither one had a title.
Another noticeable change was the increase in the rating of IM Roland Salvador from 2452 in the first listing to 2464, putting him on a par with No. 9 IM Jayson Gonzales. Salvador is currently based in Milan, Italy where he is actively seeking his third GM norm for the title.
The top 20 Filipino players listed by Fide: 1. GM Eugenio Torre (2536) 2. GM Rogelio Antonio Jr. (2532) 3. GM Mark Paragua (2525) 4. IM Wesley So (2516) 5. Rogelio Barcenilla (2503) 6. IM Oliver Dimakiling (2500) 7. IM Joseph Sanchez (2486) 8. IM John Paul Gomez (2469) 9. IM Jayson Gonzales (2461) 9. IM Roland Salvador (2461) 11. IM Idelfonso Datu (2457) 12. GM Nelson Mariano (247) 13. IM Enrique Paciencia (2431) 14. IM Rolly Martinez (2428) 15. NM Hamed Nouri (2426) 16.GM Buenaventura Villamayor (2425) 17. IM Julio Catalino Sadorra 18. IM Rico Mascariñas (2421) 19.IM Yves Rañola (2410); 20. NM Sander Severino (2405).
GM Joey Antonio plays simul in LA
FILIPINO GM Joey Antonio was due to play a simultaneous exhibition last night (Manila time) against 30-40 players at a park in park in the suburb of Los Angeles, California, under the auspices of the Carson Chess Club.
It was to be held at Carriage Crest Park in Carson City, which is still part of Los Angeles County, at the corner of Figueroa and Sepulveda Streets, on Saturday morning, US Pacific time..
Antonio went to America to campaign for a higher Elo rating by playing in as many tournaments as he could during his visit. From California, it was learned that he planned to take part in a major open event in Detroit, Michigan.
Arguably the strongest attacking player in the country, Antonio has had several setbacks in recent tournaments here, including the Philippine Open at Subic where he lost to NM Ernesto Fernandez. This caused Joey’s rating to plunge to 2532 on the corrected Fide ratings list.
In the first US event he entered during his current visit, Antonio finished in a tie for second to fifth with another Filipino, Southern California state champion IM Enrico Sevillano, in the Pacific Coast Open held at Agoura Hills south of Los Angeles.
Playing Black , Antonio had four wins and one loss, to the eventual champion, GM Khachiyan, and settled for fourth place with Sevillano in fifth on tiebreak. In second and third places were GMs Larsen Bo Hansen of Denmark and Suat Atalik of Turkey.
The Banawa brothers, Jouaquin and Joel, finished in the third bracket with 3.5 points, along with American GM Alex Yermolinsky, a former US open champion, and FM Harutyun Akopyan.
IM Salvador ends up 2nd in Bergamo
MILAN-BASED Filipino IM Roland Salvador moved closer to his goal of becoming a grandmaster this year by finishing a close second in the sixth Bergamo International Open last month, it was learned only this week from The Week in Chess internet magazine.
The event drew 125 players from 11 countries. They included seven GMs, five IMs, one WGM and two Fide masters.
GM-candidate Salvador took the second slot on tiebreak.
Shell series returns to Pangasinan
IN 1995, a total of 165 players competed in the Shell Youth Active Chess Championship when it was held in Pangasinan. This time around in the same event after 12 years, a total of 468 youngsters—314 in the Kiddies (children 14 years old or younger) and 154 in the Juniors (20 years old and younger)—trooped to the SNYACC in Dagupan City to take part in the chess festival.
No doubt about it, Shell’s annual road show has become the nation’s most popular chess competition in the grassroots. It has produced some of the country’s leading players, including GMs Mark Paragua and Nelson Mariano II.
The Weekender is proud to present this pictorial coverage of the Dagupan leg in an effort to recapture the festive air that prevailed there, as it did in Cagayan’s Tuguegarao City.
The six winners in Dagupan City—Kiddies’ Prince Mark Aquino, Bernard Nillo and John Mark Dimaliwat and Juniors’ John Ranel Morazo, Lyndon Sombilon (both from FEU) and local star Benjie Macoy—will join the 12 others who had qualified in the inaugural National Capital Region leg held in SM Manila and in the first Northern Luzon leg held in Tuguegarao City, for Shell’s Grand Finals in October.
This weekend another six qualifiers are expected to emerge from the Southern Luzon leg being held in Batangas City.
Two weeks hence, Iloilo City will host the Western Visayas leg.
The Weekender wishes to thank Aileen Duran, head of Pilipinas Shell’s External Affairs Department, for sharing these photos with the QMC Chess Plaza newsletter’s readers.
Barcenilla, the uncrowned GM
THERE are many who believe that IM Rogelio “Banjo” Barcenilla (2505) should have become a grandmaster in 2000 but for his having been embroiled in the power struggle that led to the demise of the old national federation and the emergence of a new one that even now is also being torn apart by petty squabbling.
Banjo won his third and final GM norm in June 2000 in New York City. He won it fair and square in the Jack Collins International Tournament held at the famous Marshall Chess Club in New York City.
Who would have thought that that norm would be rejected by the World Chess Federation?
It seems that somebody within Fide had raised the issue during the 33rd World Olympiad held in Istanbul in October that year—after Banjo had shown up as head of the team formed by the then Philippine Chess Federation headed by the late Arturo Borjal.
As is commonly known today, the National Chess Federation of the Philippines had been recognized by Fide as the legitimate representative of the country at the 2000 Olympiad, resulting in the old PCF and its team led by Barcenilla being booted out.
One offshoot of this was the ruling by the pertinent Fide committee that the Collins tournament did not meet the requirements for awarding a GM norm. Why? Well, the ruling said this was because the four grandmasters in that event, one of whom was the late Alex Wojtkiewicz who flew to New York from Warsaw just for that event, played only four games each instead of the nine played by the rest.
It was indeed a strange ruling, considering that the requirement must have been intended, as it were, for GM candidates, not the GMs themselves. A grandmaster is a grandmaster is a grandmaster.
Since then, Barcenilla has been regarded as a pariah by the NCFP, which even ignored his expressed desire a couple of years ago to be allowed to come back and play for the Philippines again.
Unfortunately for Banjo, he had also gotten married to Lilibeth Lee, daughter of the late Antonio Lee, a Chinese-Filipino promoter of chess in Iligan who was also identified with Borjal and the PCF.
Never mind if Barcenilla was an excellent player, one who had brought honors to the country in international tournaments, including the Olympiads. Never mind if, up to now, he still ranks No. 5 in the country despite his having been inactive for the past two or three years and has never even played here since the late nineties.
If this is so, why does the NCFP still carry his name and those of others who had left the country for greener pastures? Why? The answer is obvious: just to pad its list of “100 active players” and increase the country’s average Elo rating.
• Rogelio Barcenilla - Jean-Marc Degraeve
World Juniors, Baguio 1987
King’s Indian, Saemisch Variation (E81)
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.e4 d6 5.f3 0–0 6.Be3 c5 6...c6 7.Qd2 should equalize 7.dxc5! dxc5 8.Qxd8 Rxd8 9.Bxc5 Nc6 10.Rd1 Nd7 11.Be3 b6 Not 11...Bxc3+ 12.bxc3 b6 13.Ne2! 12.Nge2 Bb7 13.Nd4 Nxd4 14.Bxd4 Ne5 15.Nb5 f5 16.Nc7 fxe4 17.fxe4 Better than 17.Nxa8 exf3 18.Bc3 Rxd1+ 19.Kxd1 Bxa8! Ng4 18.Be2 Rxd4 19.Nxa8 If19.Rxd4 Bxd4 20.Bxg4 Rb8 21.Be6+ Kh8! Ne3 20.Rxd4 Bxd4 21.Nc7 Bxe4 22.Kd2 Bxg2 23.Re1 Nf5 24.Bd3 Kf7 25.b4 Bf6 26.Nd5 Bg5+ 27.Kc3 e6 Best was 27...Bh4 28.Re2 Bf3! 28.Bxf5! gxf5 29.Rg1 Bxd5 30.cxd5 Bf6+ 31.Kc4 e5 32.Rf1 f4 33.Kd3 Be7 34.Ke4 Bd6 35.Rc1 Ke7 36.b5 Kd7 37.Rg1! The clincher, e.g., 37…Bf8 38.Rg8! 1–0
• Rogelio Barcenilla - Utut Adianto
Asian Zonal 1990
Classical Caro-Kann (B19)
1.e4 c6 2.d4 d5 3.Nd2 dxe4 4.Nxe4 Bf5 5.Ng3 Bg6 6.Nf3 Nd7 7.h4 h6 8.h5 Bh7 9.Bd3 Bxd3 10.Qxd3 Ngf6 11.Bd2 e6 12.0–0–0 Qc7 13.Ne4 0–0–0 14.g3 Nc5 15.Nxc5 Bxc5 16.Rh4 Rhe8 17.c4 Bb6 18.Qc2 Qe7 19.b4 Rd7 19...Bc7 20.Qc3 should equalize 20.Bc3 Bc7 21.a4 Red8! 22.Re1 Ne8 23.b5 Qa3+ 24.Kb1 cxb5 25.axb5 Ba5 Not 25...Nd6 26.Ne5 Ba5 27.Bb2! 26.Re3 Rc7?? 26...Bxc3 should be tried: 27.Rxc3 Qb4+ 28.Rb3 Qa4! 27.Bd2!
After 27.Bd2!
27…Qe7 28.Bxa5 b6 29.Bd2 Nd6 30.Bb4 Qe8 31.Bxd6 Rxd6 32.Ne5 33.Nc6 Qg5 34.Re5! 1–0
• Alex Sherzer - Rogelio Barcenilla
World Juniors Romania 1991
Ruy Lopez, Smyslov Variation (C93)]
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.0–0 Be7 6.Re1 b5 7.Bb3 d6 8.c3 0–0 9.h3 h6 10.d4 Re8 11.Nbd2 Bf8 12.Nf1 Bd7 13.Ng3 Na5 14.Bc2 Nc4 15.b3 Nb6 16.a4 bxa4 17.bxa4 c5 18.Bb3 a5 19.dxc5 dxc5 20.Nh2 c4 21.Bc2 Be6 22.Qf3 Nh7 23.Nf5! Nd7 24.Qg3 Kh8 25.Ng4 Qc7 26.Nge3 Rac8 27.Nd5! Qc6 28.Nfe3 f5! 29.f4? Missing 29.exf5! fxe4 29...g5 30.fxg5 f4 31.Qh4 hxg5 32.Qh5 should give Black a big, big boost 30.Bxe4 Nc5! 31.Bxh7 Better but not enough was 31.Bf3, says Fritz Kxh7 32.Rd1 Nd3 33.Rxd3 cxd3 34.c4 Bxd5 35.cxd5 Qc3 36.Rb1 d2 37.Bxd2 Qd3 38.Rf1 exf4 If 39.Qxf4 Qxd2! 0–
Rogers retires
THE Australian GM Ian Rogers recently announced his retirement from competitive chess due to medical reasons. This leaves Darryl Johansen as the lone GM from Australia.
Born June 24, 1960 in Tasmania, Rogers was the first Australian to become an International Grandmaster.
Let us take this opportunity to clear up the record books, some of which name Walter Shawn Browne as the first.
Browne was born in 1949 in Sydney, Australia of an American Wall Street businessman and Australian mother. His family moved to the New York area when he was three, and Walter grew up in Brooklyn playing chess almost non-stop at the Manhattan Chess Club.
He had dual citizenship, and decided that it was easier to qualify for the interzonals through representing Australia in the Asian Zonals rather than to try to break through the top-heavy US zonals contending with players such as Bobby Fischer, Sammy Reshevsky, Lubomir Kavalek, William Lombardy, Robert Byrne, Larry Evans, etc etc.
He was not successful, though, as Filipino IM Renato Naranja pipped him at the end to claim the sole qualifying slot.
Completely filled with disgust Browne went back to the USA, earned his GM title, and became the most dominant American player in the post-Fischer era.
I do not think any Australian considers Browne Australian.
On the other hand Ian Rogers was born and raised in Australia. He became an International Master in 1980 and a GM in 1985.
He has been the Land Down Under’s highest rated player for over twenty years, and has represented Australia at 13 chess Olympiads (11 of them on first board).
Record Watch:
Who is Asia’s first International Master? Rodolfo Tan Cardoso (1956)
Who earned Asia’s first GM norm? Eugene Torre (1974 Torremolinos)
Who is Asia’s first GM? Eugene Torre (1974 Nice)
Who is Asia’s second GM? Rosendo Balinas (1976 Odessa)
Who is Asia’s first 2600+ player? Viswanathan Anand
Who is Asia’s second 2600+ player? Ian Rogers
There – so Rogers IS in the Asian history book.
Trivia: Ian Rogers earned his Bachelor of Science degree in the University of Melbourne.
Do you know what his major is? Give up?
Meteorology.
Is he the first weatherman turned chess player?
I will give you one personal recollection of Rogers, and this was during the 1992 Manila Olympiad. Businessman Lowell Liwat, on the prodding of GM Eduard Gufeld, decided to sponsor the brilliancy prize of the Olympiad, and it went to this game:
Kasparov,Garry (2780) - Nikolic,Predrag (2635) [D10]
Manila Olympiad (Men), 1992
1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.Nc3 e5
In the early ’90s the Semi-Slav was in fashion and this Winaver Countergambit was taken up by several players, including Nikolic, Salov and Bareev. Pretty soon everyone was playing 3.Nf3 instead of 3.Nc3 to ensure that this possibility is removed.
4.dxe5 d4 5.Ne4 Qa5+ 6.Bd2
The usual move is 6.Nd2.
6...Qxe5 7.Ng3 Qd6 8.Nf3 Nf6 9.Qc2 Be7 10.0–0–0 0–0 11.e3 dxe3
Here Kasparov sank into deep thought, and played the paradoxical ...
12.fxe3!
Remarkable. White gives himself an isolated e-pawn, but Bxe3 would put his bishop on the wrong diagonal - it belongs on c3.
12...Qc7 13.Bc3 Bg4 14.Bd3 Nbd7 15.Bf5 Bxf5 16.Nxf5 Rfe8 17.Nxg7!! Kxg7 18.Qf5!
The threat is Rxd7!
18...Nf8 19.h4!
Threat is 20.Qg5+ Ng6 21.h5.
19...h6 20.g4 Qc8! 21.Qxc8?!
I remember that some annotators made the comment here that Kasparov wimped out. Better is to maintain the attack with 21.Qc2! followed by g4-g5.
21...Raxc8 22.g5 N8h7 23.e4 Rcd8 24.Rdf1! Kf8 25.gxf6 Bxf6 26.e5 Bg7
[26...Be7? 27.e6! fxe6 (27...Bf6 28.Bb4+ Be7 29.exf7!) 28.Ng5+ etc]
27.Rhg1 c5 28.Kc2! Re6 29.Rg4 Bh8 30.b4!
Opening up the position for his pieces, especially advisable if your opponent's bishop and knight are holed up in a corner.
30...b6 31.bxc5 bxc5 32.Rb1 Ra6 33.Rb2 Bg7?
After 33...Rb6 the win is not yet in sight.
34.Rb7! Rxa2+ 35.Kb3 Ra6 36.e6! Rxe6 37.Rxg7 1–0
Quite great stuff. The problem is that Garry Kasparov was one of the judges of the brilliancy prize and quite frankly actively campaigned for his own game. From the people I spoke to during the event the impression I got was that if Garry had not twisted some arms then the following game would have been it.
Rogers, Ian (2550) - Milos, Gilberto (2515) [A41]
Manila Olympiad (Men), 1992
1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 d6 3.Nc3 Bg4 4.e4 e6 5.h3 Bh5 6.Qe2 c6 7.g4 Bg6 8.Bg5 Be7 9.Bxf6
[9.0–0–0? Nxe4!]
9...Bxf6 10.h4 h6 11.0–0–0 Nd7 12.Kb1 Qc7 13.Rg1!? h5
Black did not want to castle queenside right away because 13...0–0–0 14.h5 Bh7 15.g5 gives White a strong initiative. But that may still be the best way to go, since after the text the bishop becomes a spectator.
14.g5 Be7 15.d5! e5 16.Bh3 0–0–0 17.Nd2 Kb8 18.Nc4 Nb6 19.Nxb6 Qxb6 20.Rd3
The idea is 21.dxc6 bxc6 22.Nd5! because 22...cxd5 runs into 23.Rb3.
20...Ka8 21.a3 Rdf8 22.Bf5! Bh7
Intending ...g6 followed by ...f6
23.Rgd1 g6 24.dxc6! bxc6
If 24...gxf5 then 25.Nd5 25...Qd8 (25...Qxc6 26.Rc3 followed by Rc7 and Rxe7) 26.Rb3 wins; 24...Qxc6 25.Bh3 Rb8 26.Nd5 Bd8 27.Rc3 with a squeeze.
25.Bd7 Qc7?
After 25...Qc7
This move should have been prefaced by 25...Rb8. Now comes a nice finish.
26.Bxc6+!! Qxc6 27.Nd5 Bd8
[27...Qd7 also loses]
28.Rc3 Qb7 29.Rb3 Qc6 30.Rdd3 Ba5
Preventing Rc3, or so he thinks.
31.Rdc3! Bxc3 32.Qa6!! 1–0
The immediate point is that 32.Qa6 Qxa6?? 33.Nc7.
What do you think?
Reader comments and/or suggestions are urgently solicited. Email address is bangcpa@gmail.com.
This column was first published in BusinessWorld on July 30, 2007.
Chess quote
“The mistakes are there, waiting to be made.”
—Savielly Tartakower
Internet Addiction
YOU hear a lot of bad things about internet addiction. This has particularly been much talked about in China due to its observed rising incidence of wayward kids doing all-night gaming at Internet cafes. China has taken some drastic steps to curb the growth of Internet addiction, such as banning the opening of new Internet cafes for a year, limiting the amount of time that users can play online games, and creating halfway houses for Net addicts. They also do not allow Internet cafes to admit anyone under the age of 18, with a third offense potentially leading to revocation of a cafe's business license.
Here in the Philippines we also hear about this. Many local councils in cities and towns all over the Philippines have introduced ordinances banning internet cafes in areas within so-and-so meters of schools and I remember there was this lady Senator a few years back who tried to introduce legislation to ban internet cafes.
I am going to make a lot of enemies with what I am going to say today, but I think they are all ignorant and narrow-minded. Yeah, and I thank god the lady senator is no longer in the Senate.
I was in my 20s when the personal computer craze started here in the Philippines and to this day regret why it couldn’t have come earlier. Think of how much time and work would have been saved if I had a computer in my teenage days! And where do we start with our computer education – by reading a thousand page manual? Or by playing computer games? Everybody knows the answer to it.
I maintain that computer games are educational, beneficial and help in children's learning and development. Some myopic skeptics suggest that frequent game playing can make a person a social recluse, but this is absolutely not true, as the computer game culture has formed its own community, in which players teach each other to overcome obstacles and work together to form tight friendships.
Yes, they also improve logical thinking and enhance problem solving skills. While parents wonder why their children are playing computer games rather than play outside with their friends, many researchers say computer games are the key to success in an information age and that kids are actually learning.
Their findings suggest that people who play computer games make sharper soldiers, drivers, and surgeons, because their reaction time and peripheral vision are better. People who play computer games take risks and react with ease in stressful situations.
It is abundantly clear to me that the idea of preventing schoolboys and children from entering internet cafes cannot be correct as is banning computer games. Do you recall that many years ago President Marcos banned the robot anime shows – I was devastated and didn’t know how to survive without Voltes V and Daimos.
Easily, in that period when I was lost and all alone I could have taken up drugs or rugby, etc etc. And all because Marcos didn’t want me to watch a cartoon TV series! Do you know that I really blame him for my stunted youth?
How does this apply to chess? Well, for those people who do not have the means to buy their own computers and get an internet connection, a trip to the internet café is an indispensable form of training.
There are lots of players who log in everyday to play chess. A great example is former US Champion Hikaru Nakamura, who attributes all his superlative tactical skills and resourcefulness to a steady diet of blitz chess. As a matter of fact, he maintains that he has never read a chess book and all of his chess theory he got from online playing.
In the Continental Chess Champions which took place in Cali, Colombia, last July 10-20, 2007, seven players qualified for the next World Chess Cup to be held at the end of the year. These are GM Julio Granda (Peru), GM Alexander Ivanov (USA), GM Varuzhan Akobian 9USA), GM Darcy Lima (Brazil), IM Eduardo Iturrizaga (Venezuela), IM Everaldo Natsuura (Brazil) and GM Fernando Peralta (Argentina).
IM Manuel Leon Hoyos of Mexico did not qualify, but he earned his third and final GM norm in the tournament. He is another one of those players who grew up and sharpened his skills on the Internet Chess Club. Take a look at his attacking mastery:
Leon Hoyos,Manuel (2484) - Spraggett,Kevin (2585) [B42]
American Continental Ch Cali, Columbia (11.6), 20.07.2007
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 e6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 a6 5.Bd3 Nf6 6.0–0 d6
Bad is 6...d5? 7.e5 Nfd7? 8.Nxe6! fxe6 9.Qh5+ Ke7 10.Bg5+ time to resign.
7.c4 b6 8.Nc3
For blitzers it is important to have a few general guidelines so that you can zip through the opening stage in three seconds flat. In this case, as in many similar positions in the Sicilian, White can either play for e4-e5 or f2-f4-f5. However, the former plan is only good if Black's knights are on d7 and f6, because then the f6 one cannot retreat to d7.
So, having eliminated the first choice, White should play to advance his pawn to f5. How do you go about it? Simple, f2-f4, Kh1 and Qe2 may be played in any order since they do not commit White to anything anyway. After you have accomplished that you stop and look around for a tactic, then strike!
How's that for quick tips?
8...Bb7 9.f4
The main line now is 9...Be7, but it has lately been assaulted with 10.f5. So Black plays something safer.
9...g6!?
The idea here is that White should think twice before playing 10.f5, since it is met by 10...gxf5 and Black will then move his rook to g8 where it in tandem with the bishop on b7 would bear down on the hapless white king.
10.f5!
Nevertheless!
10...gxf5 11.exf5 Rg8
After 11...Rg8
The rook and bishop are trained on white's king. So what now?
12.Ne4!! e5
The knight cannot be taken:
1) 12...Bxe4 13.Bxe4 Nxe4 14.fxe6 fxe6 15.Nxe6 Qe7 16.Qh5+ Kd7 17.Rf7;
2) 12...Nxe4 13.fxe6! Rxg2+ (of course not 13...fxe6 14.Qh5+) 14.Kxg2 Nc3+ winning the white queen. But let's look a bit further: 15.Kg1 Nxd1 16.exf7+ Kd7 17.Bf5+, winning back the queen with lots of interest.
13.Ne6! fxe6
[13...Qe7 then 14.Bg5!]
14.fxe6 Bxe4 15.Bxe4 Ra7
[15...Nxe4?? leads to mate: 16.Qh5+ Rg6 17.Qxh7 Rf6 (17...Rg7 18.Qh5+ Ke7 19.Rf7+ Kxe6 20.Qf5#) 18.Qh5+ Ke7 19.Rxf6 Nxf6 20.Qf7#]
16.Qf3 Bg7
[16...Nxe4 is still not possible because of 17.Qf7+! Rxf7 18.exf7+ Kd7 19.fxg8Q]
17.Bg5 Rf8 18.Bxf6!
Accuracy to the end.
18...Rxf6
[18...Bxf6 19.Qh5+ Ke7 20.Qxh7+]
19.Qh5+ Kf8 20.Rxf6+ Bxf6 21.Qh6+ Kg8 22.Rf1! The bishop cannot be saved, so Spraggett resigns. 1–0
Reader comments and/or suggestions are urgently solicited. Email address is bangcpa@gmail.com.
This column was first published in BusinessWorld on August 3, 2007.
Krus-na-Ligas High School chess club elects its officers
THE Krus-na-Ligas High School Chess Team elected its officers last Saturday at a meeting attended by 17 freshmen and sophomore students,
Patrick Mark Mazo was elected president, Ron Daniel Noceno vice president for Internal Affairs and Marianel Espinosa vice president for External Affairs.
The team also elected Ana Rowena N. Osorio secretary, Elaine Dimson treasurer and Stanley Agustin auditor.
Eugene Nacion and Jhed Ramos were elected public relations officers for External and Internal Affairs, respectively; and Amiel Adversario and Eric Salvador T. Vega, sergeants-at-arms.
New members are Marc Albert Y. Vega, Jose Francisco S. Allorde, Jose Marie R. Laparesca, Jose Maria S. Allorde, Jhed D. Ramos, Ralph C. Pascasio, Allan Jhay G. Samonte, and Angelo P. Banda.
Joseph Lawrence Carpio and Allan Castillo serve as coaches and Oscar S. Gonzales and Carding Yambao as advisers.
In a pep talk, , Gonzales.pointed up the benefits they could derive from chess if they remained focused on and interested in the game of kings as an intellectual sport.
He said chess would help improve concentration, discipline and logical thinking.
RP faces tough fight in U16 Olympiad
HOPES are high that the Philippine team led by IM Wesley So will fare well in the Under-16 Olympiad, which gets under way today in Singapore. After all, Wesley (2516) is the highest rated there, although his three companions—Karl Viktor Ochoa, Haridas Pascua and Franz Grafil—have no Fide ratings
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THEY face a tough fight, though, what with the presence of Fide-rated masters from such countries as Hungary, India, Australia, Uzbekistan, Switzerland, Iran, Turkey, England and Israel, not to mention Singapore, all of whose players have Fide ratings.
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AS the host, Singapore, which has a very strong training program staffed mainly by leading Filipino masters, is fielding five teams, four of which have players that are all rated by Fide—a clear sign of the tiny island state’s determination to excel
in this intellectual sport.
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HUNGARY is clearly the top seed, with all its four regular players—one IM and two FMs and a highly-rated NM—having ratings above 2400. Its reserve
player is also a Fide master with a rating of 2378. India is seeded No. 2. Its young players, although untitled, have an average rating of 2300.
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IN team competitions, the average strength counts the most. We can only hope that even though they are not rated, Wesley’s teammates can deliver the points as they are all gifted, experienced and stouthearted warriors. But can native talent and a fighting heart make up for the lack of proper training?
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IT is said that a chain is as strong as its weakest link. The same can be said of a team, whose strength can be measured by its average rating. The key to winning a team competition is to have a well-balanced squad of competent players.
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READER John Manahan has written to inquire why IM So was not sent to tournaments where he could earn a GM norm considering that he could be overqualified for Singapore’s World Olympiad. John said Jan Emmanuel Garcia, the under-12 champion, should have been sent to Singapore instead.
CAAP seminar set
THE Chess Arbiters Association of the Philippines will hold a seminar From this coming Friday to Sunday (August 10 to 12) at Amerikana Restaurant (Marikina Chess Plaza) at 92 Ordoñez Street, corner Maroon in Concepcion 2, Marikina City.
Interested parties may contact Rudy Ibañez (0920-8460 780), Ferdie Reyes (0918-4871785), Rey Calitoy (0919-5291693, Gatz Luz (522-7243, 339-3321, 03 0922-637-3365), Milo Samaniego (780-2851 or 0926-7700645), Alfredo Chay (0919-4512384), Joel Tatad (0915-7537922) or Mary Grace Castro (0906-2572968).
And there goes your inbox content for the past week. Social software sharing, chess newsblogging and sharing!
Thanks to all of you!
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