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Hi there!

Received a newslink about the The Regional Trial Court Branch 90 of Quezon City issuing a Temporary Restraining Order Wednesday to stop the First NCFP Congress on January 19, 2008 in Tagaytay. That's tomorrow folks and am thrilled to tell you I don't know what's going to happen about Philippine Chess after this. A showdown? or a No show? or a show off?

Anyways, here's the link sent in to me:

http://sports.inquirer.net/inquirersports/inquirersports/view/20080117-112925/TRO-stops-chess-polls

TRO stops chess polls

Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 05:47:00 01/17/2008

MANILA, Philippines -- There will be no election of officers of the National Chess Federation of the Philippines scheduled on Jan. 19 in Tagaytay City.
The Regional Trial Court Branch 90 of Quezon City issued a Temporary Restraining Order Wednesday calling for the group headed by NCFP president Prospero Pichay Jr. to cease and desist from conducting the elections slated at the Tagaytay Convention Center.

Judge Reynaldo Daway signed the TRO based on a petition filed by another NCFP group headed by lawyer Sammy Estimo on Tuesday.

The petitioners, who also include NCFP board chair Matias Defensor, Go Teng Kok, Jesus Torre, Brig. Gen. Arturo Carillo, Dr. Jenny Mayor, Raul Molintas and Eduardo Madrid, want the election to be held on Feb. 2 at the Amoranto Sports Complex in Quezon City. Jeannette I. Andrade

The thing is, I have also read fom the same news daily about NCFP's First COngress in Tagaytay City pushing thru as planned. Here it is:

Chess Congress to push thru in Tagaytay, says Pichay:

The FIRST NATIONAL CHESS FEDERATION OF THE PHILIPPINES National COnress will push through as scheduled on Jan. 19 at the Tagaytay INternational Convention Center in Tagaytay City, according to NCFP President Prospero "Butch" Pichay.

Pichay called on all officers and members of duly recognized chess clubs and affiliates to attend the assembly.

On Wednesday...

And here is The Weekender Extra Edition of Mr. Manny Benitez:

Extra!!! The Chess Plaza Weekender
Thursday, 17 January 2008
Quezon Memorial Circle, Quezon City Weekday Edition

PINOY GEMS SPARKLING IN INDONESIA

So, Paragua, Torre shine in 8th round
RP trio still leading in Group B; Mendoza in 2nd win

WITH three more rounds to go, three Filipino grandmasters started flexing their muscles with sparkling wins in all three categories of the Asean Masters Circuit’s inaugural leg in the Indonesian city of Tarakan in East Kalimantan (Borneo).

In Group A, GMs Wesley So, 14, and Eugenio Torre, 56, outclassed their rivals while GM Mark Paragua strengthened his bid for the gold in Group B with a mini-sparkler of a game against Indonesian GM Herman Ardiyansah.

In Group C, WIM Beverly Mendoza posted her second win in a thrilling duel of wits with up-and-coming Singaporean WFM Victoria Chan to raise her rank to a tie for fifth to seventh places.

Wesley remained in solo second with 5.5 points after posting a brilliant win against Indonesian GM Nasib Ginting.

The Filipino wunderkind, however, was only half a point ahead of IM Tirto of Indonesia, who had also trounced his compatriot, IM Tirta Chandra Purnama.

Former Chinese champion Zhang Zhong, now playing under the Singaporean flag, towered
over his 11 rivals in Group A with 7.0 points and it looked like he was on the verge of clinching the gold.

With his latest win, Torre climbed to a tie for fourth to fifth with Indonesian GM Susanto Megaranto. They had 4.5 points each, decidedly within striking distance of So and Tirto.

Asia’s trailblazing grandmaster has been on a virtual rollercoaster ride in Tarakan.

In Group B, GM Paragua seemed certain of capturing the gold with his lofty score of 7.0 points from six wins and two draws.

He was a full point ahead of GM-candidate Jayson Gonzales, who was held to a draw in the eighth by GM Cerdas Barus.

Filipino Fide Master Rolando Nolte, however, was on shaky ground in a tie for third to fourth with his eighth-round nemesis, Armenian IM Ashot Nadanian. They each had 5.0 points.

Just half a point behind them was Indonesian FM Syarif Mahmud, followed by Filipino National master Oliver Barbosa and Indonesian IM Salor Sitanggang with 4.0 each.

In Group C, solo leader IM Irwanto Sadikin had a phenomenal 7.5 points from eight games to lead his closest rival and compatriot, GM Edhi Handoko, by 1.5 points.

Trailing behind the leaders were FM Graham Chua of Singapore and Evi Lindiwati of Indonesia with 4.5 each, followed by Vietnamese WFM Nguyen Thi May Hung, WIM Mendoza and Singaporean WFM Jeslin Tay with 4.5 each.

Giant-killer Christy Lamiel Bernales, the 14-year-old who had shone in the first few rounds until she stumbled against WIM Mendoza in last, remained pegged to the eighth place with 3.5 after suffering her third straight loss in the eighth to group leader IM Sadikin.

GM Paragua produced a brilliant gem of a game as he made short shrift of the Sicilian Defense, Taimanov Variation, put up by veteran GM Ardiyansah.

Here is the score as analyzed by Fritz:

M. Paragua (2521) – H. Ardiyansah (2409)
Rd 8, Sicilian Taimanov (B49)

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Qc7 Not 4...d5 5.exd5 Qxd5 6.Be3! 5.Nc3± e6 6.Be2 Nf6 7.0–0 a6 Secures b5 8.Be3 Bb4 9.Na4 Rb8 9...0–0 10.Bd3 would have equalized 10.c4 10.a3 Be7 11.Nc3 0–0 could help Black Bd6 Fritz suggests 10...Nxe4!?, e.g., 11.Qd3 f5, with equality 11.f4 Nxe4 12.Bf3 Nf6? 12...Bxf4!? should be studied more closely, says Fritz: 13.Bxf4 Qxf4 14.Nxc6 bxc6! 13.Nf5 exf5 14.Bb6 Qxb6+ 15.Nxb6 Bc5+ 16.Kh1 Bxb6 17.Re1+ 17.Qd6 Kd8 is also playable Kd8 18.b4 Bc7 19.b5 Na5??

The losing moment, says Fritz. 20.b6 Bxb6 21.Qd6! The clincher: 21.Qd6 Ba7 22.Qe7+ Kc7 23.Qe5+ d6 24.Qxa5+ Bb6 25.Re7+ Bd7 26.Qxf5! 1–0

The most thrilling eighth-round duel arose between GM So and IM Ginting.

W. So (2526) – N. Ginting (2393)
Rd 8, Sicilian Richter-Rauzer (B65)

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 Nc6 6.Bg5 e6 7.Qd2 Be7 8.0–0–0 Nxd4 9.Qxd4 0–0 10.f4 Qa5 11.h4 Not 11.e5 dxe5 12.Qxe5 b5! Rd8 12.Qe3 h6 13.Be2 Bd7 Not 13...hxg5 because of 14.hxg5 g6 15.Qh3!, 14.Qg3 Kh8 14...hxg5 would still be a mistake: 15.hxg5 Kf8 16.Rh8+ Ng8 17.Qh4 Bxg5 18.fxg5! 15.e5 dxe5 16.fxe5 Ng8 17.Qf4 17.Rhf1 Be8 18.Bd2 Bc5 benefits Black Be8 18.Bd3 f6 19.exf6 Bxf6 19...gxf6 is bad, e.g., 20.Bxh6 Rac8 21.Bc4 Rxd1+ 22.Rxd1! 20.Bxf6 Nxf6 21.g4 e5 22.Qf1 Bc6 23.g5 Ng8 24.Rg1 e4 25.gxh6 Nxh6 26.Qg2 Nf5 27.Bxe4 Rxd1+ 28.Rxd1 Ne3 29.Qg6 29.Qf3 may be better, e.g., 29…Bxe4 30.Qxe3, with a huge advantage Bxe4 30.Nxe4 Rc8 30...Qf5 31.Qxf5 Nxf5 should reduce White’s advantage 31.c3! Nxd1? 32.Ng5 Rxc3+ 33.Kb1 Fritz says 33.bxc3 was playable Rc1+ 34.Kxc1 Qc5+ 35.Kb1 Nc3+ 36.bxc3 Qb5+ 37.Ka1! Disheartened that he could not trap White’s king, Black resigns..
1–0

68TH ARMENIAN CHAMPIONSHIP
Petrosian strikes again

FAST-RISING Armenian star Tigran L. Petrosian struck again in the seventh round, beating his tokayo, Tigran Kotanjian, in 38 moves from White’s side of the Ruy Lopez, to tighten his grip on the lead with 6.0 points from five wins and two draws.

Petrosian, who has vowed to follow in the footsteps of his namesake, the late ex-world champion from the defunct Soviet Union, boosted his lead by 1.5 points over the top seed, Smbat Lputian, whom he fought to a draw in the sixth canto.

Lputian stayed within striking distance of the solo leader by crushing Ashot Anastasian with Black in just 20 moves of a French Winawer to raise his score to 4.5, just 1.5 behind with six more rounds to go.

Snapping at Lputian’s heels in the race for top honors were the Minasian brothers, Ara and Artashes, and Samvel Ter-Sahakyan, who had 4.0 each in a tie for third to fifth places.

In solo sixth was Anastasian with 3.5, followed by four three-pointers, namely, Kotanjian, Karen Asrian. Zaven Andrasian and Arman Pashikian.

An Internet report said Petrosian was not related at all to his namesake, the late world champion who was a Russian-born ethnic Armenian.

And yes, Mark Paragua is enjoying the lead in the ongoing ASEAN Chess Masters Circuit, from Philippine Daily Inquirer, online edition (http://sports.inquirer.net/breakingnews/breakingnews/view/20080118-113160/)

Paragua-whips-Indonesian-GM-jacks-up-lead:

Standings after 8 rounds:

Group A
7.0 points -- Z. Zhong (SIN); 5.5 -- W. So (RP); 5.0 -- Tirto (INA); 4.5 -- S. Megaranto (INA), E. Torre (RP); 4 -- M. Hafizulhelmi (MAL), H. Nouri (RP); 3.5 -- C. Purnama (INA); 3.0 -- N. Ginting (Indonesia), C. Kosasih (INA), N. Situru (INA); 1.0 -- B. Nadera (RP)

Group B
7.0 points -- M. Paragua (RP); 6.0 -- J. Gonzales (RP); 5.0 -- R. Nolte (RP), A. Nadanian (ARM); 4.5 -- S. Mahmud (INA); 4.0 -- O. Barbosa (RP); I. Sitanggang (INA); 3.5 -- S. Prayitno (INA); 3.0 -- C. Barus (INA), H. Ardiansyah (INA); 2.5 -- T.M. Mk (MAL); 0.5 -- I. Sukandar (INA)

WIM Section
7.5 points -- I. Sadikin (INA); 6.0 -- E. Handoko (INA); 5.0 -- G. Chua (SIN), E. Lindiawati (INA); 4.5 -- T.M. Hung (VIE); B. Mendoza (RP), J. Tay (SIN); 3.5 -- C. Bernales (RP); 2.5 -- T. Handayani (INA); 2.0 -- V. Chan (SIN); 1.5 -- N. Verdiana (INA), D. Citra (INA)

MANILA, Philippines -- Filipino Grandmaster Mark Paragua trounced veteran GM Herman Ardiansyah of Indonesia in the eighth round Wednesday to boost his lead in the inaugural ASEAN Masters Chess Circuit in the Indonesian city of Tarakan in East Kalimantan (Borneo).

The still-unbeaten Paragua prevailed with white in only 21 moves of a Sicilian Defense, Taimanov variation, to show the way in the 12-player Grandmaster B category with 7.0 points on six wins and two draws.

The win gave the 23-year-old campaigner from Quezon City a one-point lead over fellow Filipino campaigner International Master Jayson Gonzales going into the final three rounds of the 36-player tournament.

Gonzales, who is seeking to become the country’s ninth GM, drew his match against GM Cerdas Barus of Indonesia after 103 moves of the Queen’s Indian Defense to stay in second place.

Gonzales, also coach of UAAP champion Far Eastern University, needs to score 2.5 points in the remaining three rounds to earn his third and last GM norm.

Another Filipino, National Master Rolando Nolte, slipped to a tie for third and fourth places with five points after losing the eighth-round match to Ashot Nadanian of Armenia after 47 moves of the Ruy Lopez opening.

FIDE Master Oliver Barbosa drew with FM Syarif Mahmud of Indonesia to stay in fifth place with four points.

In the category-9 Group A division, GM Wesley So whipped IM Nasib Ginting of Indonesia in 37 pushes of another Sicilian to stay in solo second place behind top seed GM Zhang Zhong of Singapore.

The 14-year-old So has 5.5 points on four wins, three draws and only one loss.

Zhang, who handed So his only loss in the third round, is now one and a half points ahead with seven points.

Asia’s first GM Eugene Torre defeated IM Nathaniel Situru of Indonesia in 49 moves of the Sicilian Alapin to move into a two-way tie for fourth place with GM Susanto Megaranto of Indonesia with 4.5 points.

In the women’s section, WIM Beverly Mendoza crushed WFM Victoria Chan of Singapore in 50 moves of another Sicilian to climb into a tie for fifth place with 5.5 points.

Mendoza, however, is a full three points behind runaway leader Irwanto Sadikin of Indonesia.

Another Filipina, Christy Lamiel Bernales, suffered her fourth straight setback at the hands of Sadikin and remained with only 3.5 points. Marlon Bernardino, contributor

Whew! Tomorrow is the start of the 4th Xavier Interscholastic Invitational Chess Tournament. See you there! For sure there won't be anybody covering the event except for Philippine Chess Chronicles. Of course am not a professional reporter so I don't get paid blogging or reporting about our chess... but I'll be there to give whatever it is I can updating you all of the happenings. Oh excuse me, The Weekender's Manny Benitez might be there. Am not sure too with Xavier's A-alumnus and Chess Piece columnist, Mr. Bobby Ang.

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