Checkmate for 2011

Here is a checkmate I gave against a 2020 player on ChessCube. This one's pretty basic but would be hard to find for beginners in the game.

Watch:

Rizal's 115th Martyrdom Remembered

Remember when my Jose Rizal Exposed?

Today, most Filipinos remember the martyrdom of one of the major players in our nation's journey towards freedom from the Spaniards. The Spaniards main objective was to ruin and dominate the already intelligent civilization we had. From their abusive ways to the criminals sent in here, they found ways to rape the virgins of the land -- culturally, intellectually and yes, physically.

Thanks to Dr. Jose Rizal, the sins of the Spaniards were exposed through his works: Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo.

The Filipinos should never forget!

A Draw with Polish Opening

Here is a 15-minute game I played with my student just before the Christmas break. We were looking into the English and QGD openings but Shawn surprised me with a Polish Opening. He was handling the white pieces here:

Indigo Evolution

Here is something worth watching over the boring moments of of your holiday break.  Indigo Evolution is a movie documentary that tackles issues about Indigo Children/People. Filmmakers were:

James Twyman (Producer / Director) is a singer/songwriter and the author of "Emissary of Love-The Psychic Children Speak" and "Messages from Thomas: Raising Psychic Children." James wrote and was the Executive Producer for the movie INDIGO which premiered in January 2005.

Stephen Simon (Executive Producer) has produced such films as "Somewhere in Time" and "What Dreams May Come" and is the author of "The Force is With You: Mystical Movie Messages That Inspire Our Lives."

Kent Romney - (Co-Producer / Co-Director) This is Kent's first feature documentary as a Director and Producer. In recent years, traveling to distant lands and cultures of our world, he worked on production teams that created film and television projects shown on The Discovery Channel, National Geographic, ABC Primetime and other broadcast networks. As a filmmaker, he creates video and film projects reflecting his interests in adventure travel, social topics, cultural issues and spiritual growth.Doreen Virtue - (Associate Producer) holds M.A. and Ph.D. degrees in counseling psychology, is the author of more than 20 books about angels, chakras, Crystal Children, Indigo Children, health and diet, and other mind-body-spirit issues. She is recognized as an expert in the area of Indigo Children and her books on the subject include "The Care and Feeding of Indigo Children" and "The Crystal Children."

Watch it below:

Summary of FIDE Chess Ratings for 2011

The end of 2011 is days away, I'd like to sum up the chess ratings for the Filipino chess players and our country's ranking-rating compared to all the FIDE-member countries.

Let us start with the most recent November 2011 FIDE released rating. Philippine's Top Ten:

1. GM Wesley So 2659
2. GM Oliver Barbosa 2571
3. GM Rogelio Antonio Jr 2557
4. GM Mark Paragua 2522
5. GM Joseph Sanchez 2518
6. GM Richard Bitoon 2515
7. GM Julio Catalino Sadorra 2506
8. GM John Paul Gomez 2506
9. GM Darwin Laylo 2502
10. GM Eugene Torre 2502

Such a nice thing to see, all of our players in the top ten all have their grandmaster title. Just to give you a backgrounder on this numbers game, here is Wikipedia's entry:

"The Elo rating system is a method for calculating the relative skill levels of players in two-player games such as chess. It is named after its creator Arpad Elo, a Hungarian-born American physics professor.

The Elo system was invented as an improved chess rating system, but today it is also used in many other games. It is also used as a rating system for multiplayer competition in a number of video games,^[1] and has been adapted to team sports including association football, American college football, basketball, and Major League Baseball."

And in the FIDE Country ranking where the average rating of the top ten players are used to determine the standings, the Philippines is on 33rd out of 145 countries. We have 16 Filipino chess grandmasters and a couple of players are on the side waiting to fulfill the required 2500 rating to become a full-pledged chess GM.

The Global Top Ten:

1. Russia
2. Ukraine
3. France
4. China
5. Hungary
6. Armenia
7. USA
8. Israel 
9. India
10. Azerbaijan  

Russia has maintained their world dominance in the game of chess although the current world champion is a native of India. It won't be a surprise if one day Ukraine, France and China overtake the Russians in this game.

The Secret Life of Adolf Hitler

Tired of the day I just had coupled with boredom brought about by the holidays, I thought of typing in movies to watch inside the search box of YouTube and I discovered a treasure for history fanatics like me:


 

More documentaries to come, thanks to OPENFLIX of YouTube.

GM Eugene Torre Profile

I checked our very own GM Eugene Torre's player profile at Chessmetrics website and what I found was interesting enough to share here. As Asia's first ever recipient of the world's highest title in chess, grandmaster, he has represented our country in the Olympiads twenty times, a record he shares with Lajos Portisch of Hungary.

Highlights of his career:

• Best World Rank: # 43 (February 1987 FIDE rating list)
• Highest Rating: 2675 (March 1989 at the age of 37 years and 4 months)
• Best Individual Performance: 2768 in Manila, 1976 against 2726-rated players 

I was born the year Eugene Torre nailed his third and final GM norm and I have never heard a story about that taints his good image. Yes there were buzzes and side during tournaments portal comments about him losing the edge over the younger ones and him not really into "youth" training but these actually are matters of preference.

Unlike some of the young masters we have, Eugene Torre has always been a good role model, always discreet about his ways.

My Christmas wish for the Philippines Chess Community, LESS POLITICS and MORE DISCIPLINE among the players and officials of the Federation.

Check out the full players profile of Eugene Torre at Chessmetrics here.

Tactics Course in Chess

Here are two documents I found online, thanks to ChessHodina of Chess in Iowa website:

Prairie Tactics Course Tactics Course

The English Opening

When I was starting out, I enjoyed playing the English Opening and found it to be so flexible for white pieces with all the tactical possibilities it can offer. Le' me share JROBIChess video of his analysis of the opening:

A Draw in Chess

How many ways can a game of chess end?

A chess game ends with:

1. Checkmate
2. Resignation
3. Draw

With a checkmate, one player wins and gets one full point. With a player's resignation, he losses and gives full point to is opponent. Now comes the draw which means, neither of the two player wins or losses but they half the point so they each get .5 or 1/2.

Now here is an example of a drawn game due to stalemate, I was playing with the black pieces here:

Short vs McShane Analysis of King's Gambit

The analysis by Nigel Short and Luke McShane from their Round 7 game in the recent London Chess Classic 2011 is truly one of the most hilarious video I've watched. For the learners of the English language, here's one good material. Check out the accent only these blokes can do best. For the King's Gambit players out there like me, enjoy the show.
 

Holiday Blues 2011

These days we have all the reason to laugh at ourselves for being the Filipinos that we are, the Nation that we are and the fools that we have always been. Newspapers have always sold stories that reflects the sad state of the Philippines.

Chief Justice Corona under fire, former President GMA in jail as well as former COMELEC Commissioner Benjamin Abalos. If, let's say Chief Justice Corona will fight the impeachment instead of resigning from his post, then we have so much to look forward to come February of 2012. The members of the Senate will have to listen to Senator Miriam Santiago to "hit the books" or else social networking sites will be flooded by one-liners everyone will mimic during their coffee breaks.

Still in the Senate, one newspaper run a story about the "existing plan" to unseat Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile. For reasons and clarity not obvious to everyone, everybody wants a piece of the media mileage.

Only in the Philippines, the former president and now Pampanga representative Gloria Macapagal Arroyo seeks permission from the court a chance to spend Christmas at home while Mr. Abalos claims he was asked by two lawyers of a P100-M in exchange for a favorable decision from the court.

Just last week, an aircraft crashed and killed at least 12 residents of the school. Thank God at least it happened on a weekend without any classes. Such a problem this crash left among the families of the dead, the insurance of the plane expired four days the accident.

And while majority of the kids below twelve years old are fooled by the commercialization of the whole thing called Christmas, an estimate of more than a hundred died after Tropical Storm Washi pummeled the Southern part of the Philippines: Iligan City, Cagayan De Oro, Zamboanga del Norte and Compostela Valley.

Department of Justice indicted retired Army Major General Jovito Palparan and three others for their alleged involvement in the disappearance of two University of the Philippines students.

Gecko smuggling wouldn't stop as long as buyers buy from them and the police force should know that those caught are usually the runners who only knows one thing, to deliver the goods.

Holiday blues for 2011, what else can there be? 

I visited MERALCO Chess Club with my 2 boys this morning and the news I heard about chess in the Philippines in general is just too much, its bad!

On our way home, Freedom and Miguel (and I) went to Igan D' Bayan's exhibit with his recent artworks The Head F#cks at the 4th Floor of SM Mega Mall A presented and organized by The Crucible. I was told by the guy manning the exhibit that all works were sold and the shows centerpiece called Spoilarium was sold at 350  thousand. The centerpiece was a twisted version of Juan Luna's Spolarium. I told the guy it could have been called Spooflarium. Igan's works remind you of the band Slipknot, Korn and the rest of the trash metal world's residents. I was stupid enough to ask the guy at the exhibit if Igan did a Charles Manson -- he didn't.

Then we went home feeling tired and exhausted,  holiday blues!

Poetry Festival @ Beacon School

Poetry night in my school, Monday, December 12. This will be my first and I hope it goes well not just for me but for everyone, mostly seventh graders who worked hard on their poems. I wish I could share their works here and be amazed at how good these middle school students are.

I did a "sit-in" last week with these kids for their practice session and mighty glad I did. It was surprising to hear them read their piece. Talent really is in everyone, a matter of guidance and motivation is all they need from their teacher. Their teacher is a master and I'm glad I watched her how she handles the class superbly.

Well here is my poem I wrote while I was in Morocco around June 2009:

Isang Iglap

Isang iglap at tapos na ang anim na buwan,

Kisapmata, ihip ng hangin,

patak ng ulan.

Malapit na,

konti na lang

Pilipinas na

Mahal kong bayan!

Uuwi na, babalik na

Kapiling na,

kasama na

Konti na lang

malapit na!

Heto na

Naiisip ko na

Nadarama na

Pilipinas Game na!

Mga umagang puro saya

Mga gabing punong puno ng mga tala

Mga kwentuhang pabida

Lahat tumatawa, natatawa

Nawala'y sa bayan

Napilay, nanamlay at halos mamatay

Nalungkot, nabugnot

Puso'y napuno ng kirot

Isang saglit,

sandaling idlip

Ihip ng hangin

Simoy at amoy

Pilipinas, Pilipinas,

Pilipinas na!

GM Joey Antonio Replaced

Well here is something not surprising for Philippine Chess:

HON. RICARDO GARCIA
CHAIRMAN
PHILIPPINE SPORTS COMMISSION

Dear Sir,

Greetings!

I was informed this morning by Coach Webber (Sec.Gen. of Philspada) that I was removed as Head Coach of Philippine Paragames Chess Team without citing any reason.

A week ago,just right after I arrived from the 2011 SEA GAMES, I was even the one who conducted the last elimination for the selection of the National Chess Team for PARAGAMES with the presence of Ms. Nanie Apostol (NCDA) who knew all along that I was already removed as head coach but didn’t even bother inform me.

For 6 years, I headed the PARAGAMES Chess Team earning the most bemedalled event among all sports (pls see attached). Last April 2011, I was conferred as Head of all sports delegation in the recently concluded IBSA WORLD PARAGAMES in Antalya,Turkey. Afterwhich, I was already busy training in Tagaytay City for the 2011 SEA GAMES Palembang,Indonesia (for 2 events, ASEAN CHESS and RAPID CHESS)

I was replaced by Ms. Nanie Apostol, who doesn’t even know how to play chess and who surprisingly receives training allowances from PSC as head coach of elite chess players for the disabled.

Hence, I would like to formally complain my removal as Head Coach of PARAGAMES Chess Team slated Dec. 11-22,2011 without any due process at all by PHILSPADA.

Likewise, may I formally request also the reinstatement of my participation as Head Coach of the PARAGAMES Chess Team this coming December 11- 22, 2011. Because I believe, I deserve it more than Ms. Nanie Apostol , who knows nothing about the rudiments in chess…to head our blind and wheelchaired chess players.

Hoping that PSC will act on this matter.

Thank you Sir and Mabuhay!


Very truly yours,

ROGELIO M. ANTONIO JR
Chess Grandmaster

Feast Day of the Immaculate Concepcion 2011

Happy Feast Day of the Immaculate Concepcion to all of you!

According to wikipedia:

The Immaculate Conception of Mary is a dogma of the Roman Catholic Church, according to which the Virgin Mary was conceived without any stain (in Latin, macula or labes, the second of these two synonymous words being the one used in the formal definition) of original sin. It is one of the four dogmata in Roman Catholic Mariology. It is completely distinct from the Virginity of Mary and the virgin birth of Jesus, though it is a popular mistake to confuse them. Mary is sometimes called the Immaculata (the Immaculate One), particularly in artistic contexts.

The proclaimed Roman Catholic dogma states "that the most Blessed Virgin Mary, in the first instance of her conception, by a singular grace and privilege granted by Almighty God, in view of the merits of Jesus Christ, the Saviour of the human race, was preserved free from all stain of original sin". Being always free from original sin, she was from the start filled with the sanctifying grace that would normally come with baptism after birth. Although widely-held since at least Late Antiquity, the doctrine was not formally proclaimed until Pope Pius IX did so in 1854 in Ineffabilis Deus.

Better celebrate the Holy Eucharist today!

And here are some of the Immaculate Concepcion prayers from the ChurchYear.Net:

Opening Prayer for the Feast of the Immaculate Conception

Let us pray,

[That through the prayers

of the sinless Virgin Mary,

God will free us from our sins.]

Father,

You prepared the Virgin Mary

to be the worthy mother of your son.

You let her share beforehand

in the salvation

Christ would bring by his death,

and kept her sinless

from the first moment of her conception.

Help us by her prayers

to live in your presence without sin.

We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,

who lives and reigns

with you and the Holy Spirit,

one God, for ever and ever.

New Saint Joseph Sunday Missal

Alternate Opening Prayer for the Feast of the Immaculate Conception

Let us pray,

[on this feast of Mary,

who experienced the perfection

of God's saving power.]

Father,

the image of the Virgin

is found in the Church.

Mary had a faith that your Spirit prepared

and a love that never knew sin,

for you kept her sinless

from the moment of her conception.

Trace in our actions

the lines of her love,

in our hearts her readiness of faith.

Prepare once again a world for your Son

who lives and reigns

with you and the Holy Spirit

one God forever and ever.

New Saint Joseph Sunday Missal

A Collect for the Feast of the Immaculate Conception

O God

Who by the Immaculate Conception of the Virgin

didst make her a worthy habitation for Thy Son

and didst by his foreseen death

preserve her from all stain of sin,

grant, we beseech Thee,

that through her intercession

we may be cleansed from sin

and come with pure hearts to Thee.

Benedictine Monastic Diurnal

In Praise of Mary Immaculate

You are all fair, O Mary;

the original stain is not in you.

You are the glory of Jerusalem,

the joy of Israel,

the honor of our people,

and the great advocate of sinners.

O Mary, Virgin most prudent,

Mother most merciful, pray for us;

intercede for us with our Lord Jesus Christ.

New Saint Joseph People's Prayer Book

Immaculate Conception Morning Prayer

Father,

you prepared the Virgin Mary

to be the worthy mother of your Son.

You let her share beforehand

in the salvation Christ

would bring by his death,

and kept her sinless

from the first moment of her conception.

Help us by her prayers

to live in your presence without sin.

We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,

who lives and reigns

with you and the Holy Spirit,

one God for ever and ever. Amen

The Liturgy of the Hours

Immaculata Mater Dei

Immaculate Mother of God,

Queen of heaven,

Mother of mercy,

Advocate and Refuge of sinners,

behold, I,

enlightened and inspired

by the graces obtained for me

abundantly from the divine treasury

through thy maternal affection,

resolve this day and always

to place my heart into thy hands

to be consecrated to Jesus.

To thee, therefore, most Blessed Virgin,

in the presence of nine choirs of Angels

and all the Saints, I now give it.

Do thou, in my name, consecrate it to Jesus;

and out of the filial confidence

which I hereby make profession of,

I am certain that now and always

thou wilt do all thou canst to bring it

to pass that my heart may ever wholly belong to Jesus,

and may imitate perfectly the example of the Saints,

and in particular that of Saint Joseph,

thy most pure Spouse. Amen.

St. Vincent Pallotti (1798-1850)

O Pure and Immaculate

O pure and immaculate

and likewise blessed Virgin,

who art the sinless Mother of thy Son,

the mighty Lord of the universe,

thou who art inviolate and altogether holy,

the hope of the hopeless and sinful,

we sing thy praises.

We bless thee, as full of every grace,

thou who didst bear the God-Man:

we bow low before thee;

we invoke thee and implore thine aid.

Rescue us, O holy and inviolate Virgin,

from every necessity that presses upon us

and from all the temptations of the devil.

Be our intercessor and advocate

at the hour of death and judgment;

deliver us from the fire

that is not extinguished

and from the outer darkness;

make us worthy of the glory of thy Son,

O dearest and most clement Virgin Mother.

Thou indeed art our only hope most sure

and sacred in God's sight,

to Whom be honor and glory and majesty and dominion

for ever and ever world without end. Amen.

Ephrem the Syrian (306-373)

Invocation in Honor of Mary Immaculate

Mary, conceived without sin,

pray for us who have recourse to you

Immaculate Mary

Immaculate Mary,

your praises we sing.

You reign now in Heaven

with Jesus our King.

Ave, Ave, Ave, Maria! Ave, Ave, Ave, Maria!

In Heaven the blessed

your glory proclaim;

On earth we your children

invoke your sweet name.

Ave, Ave, Ave, Maria! Ave, Ave, Ave, Maria!

We pray for our Mother,

the Church upon earth,

And bless, Holy Mary,

the land of our birth.

Ave, Ave, Ave, Maria! Ave, Ave, Ave, Maria!

We pray you, O Mother,

may God's will be done

We pray for His glory,

may his Kingdom come.

Ave, Ave, Ave, Maria! Ave, Ave, Ave, Maria!

Lourdes Hymn

My Weekend Chess Games

I did some refresher for my bullet games and I found lucky breaks and "quicky" tactics that made my ChessCube rating roll like a roller coaster ride. You'll notice that I played a series of games against the handle name Salekg from with a flag handle of Kiribati. I think our score was 5-1 going in my favor. Frustrated, he launched into typing attack and sent me chat messages like cheater and all. I asked him why and he asked why I wasn't losing with a kind of lag I've been having. I thought to myself, "this guy was not playing to win, he was waiting to win."

Chesscube Fixed Facebook Glitch

After waiting for almost a week, Chesscube finally fixed whatever glitch they may have had with Facebook. I could not log in with my Facebook account at Chesscube and I sorta' lost my patience and decided to play at FICS the other day but the cubits from Chesscube ain't got any match.

And then I tried logging in again... there it was, plus 25 cubits I got for coming back and another after I played a rated game.

Thanks to Chesscube!

Here's a game I'd like to share to all of you tonight. Nothing fancy, nothing deep, just plain queen and bishop battery checkmate along the light squared diagonal of b1 to h7: