Online Chess Clinics and Tournaments in the Philippines

 Hey there!

The National Chess Federation of the Philippines has been doing wonderful things for the country and the chess community. With the stoppage of sports almost for six months now, chess and the Federation has had a great success in continuing its projects and activities for everyone thru online chess tournaments, webinars and activities.

A couple of weeks ago, Coaches and Grandmasters' Eugene Torre and Jayson Gonzales spearheaded the National Certification and Training for Chess Coaches. Several titles were awarded in the said thee-day online workshop:

- National Trainer

- Regional Trainer

- City Trainer

- Club Trainer.

Veteran coaches as well as the younger ones, teachers and players, had to go thru written test and an actual teaching and coaching presentation. Talk about professionalizing the Chess Coaching profession in the Philippines.

Now, its not only the Federation who has been doing their jobs. Several individuals and groups have managed o support chess tournaments and webinars in the last six months---at a dizzying pace and numbers.

And starting on Saturday, September 12, FEU Online Chess Education begins:

The free FEU online youth chess lessons will start tomorrow, September 12, 2020 at 9 AM via Zoom platform. It is open to all nationwide with ages from 11 to 17 years old, boys and girls.

There are about confirmed 30 registered participants wanting to learn more with a desire to attain their chess dreams, to become a better chess player and hoping in becoming a Grandmaster. 

This maiden chess program is made possible with the support from FEU Chairman Aurelio Montinola III, who is also a chess player that during in his high school years founded a chess club in Ateneo. 

Likewise, thankful to FEU Athletics Director Mark Oliver Molina for his unrelenting support on this project. 

Former FEU Chess players and Alumni will be the instructors and lecturers who volunteered themselves to be part in this undertaking. 

WGM Janelle Frayna

WFM Michelle Yaon

IM Paolo Bersamina

IM Jerad Docena,

GM Jayson Gonzales and among others with a special participation of GM Eugene Torre.

Kindly register thru this link:

https://forms.gle/KuaCEqNTAkRMTEJP6 

For more clarifications, feel free to message our Official Facebook Page (FEU Chess Team).

#FEUTamsPride

#BraverToday

And there's the AFPI Chess Project:

"Since the start and implementation of Enhanced Community Quarantine due to Corona Virus 19 for almost 5 months of continuous Free Online Chess lessons. The AFPI and its associate wishes to announce the resumption of this project from September 19 Up to December 2020. 

As AFPI President BGEN ROMEO F FAJARDO AFP (Ret) and Corporate  Secretary COL EMMANUEL C Martin ( Ret) extending their gladness and appreciation to all participants especially to more than 100 young aspirants and promising chess players who attended this program Consequently, witnessing the journey of striving and hard working young people who wants to learn and excel in chess.

The AFPI project somehow able to help  talented kids and more so the dependents of modern heroes - the nation's frontliners in coping the pandemic as they become productive in dealing and using their time wisely. 

It is our fervent prayer that all of us as a people and as a nation, we will hurdle this trial and overcome this adversity.

 And now,  it is with great joy and pride to officially announce the schedule and continuation  of this noble project of the Artillery Foundation of the Philippines, Inc. (AFPI) Intermediate online chess lessons in cooperation and association with 

🔸Special Service Center, Philippine Army (SSC, PA) 

🔸Installation Management Command (IMCOM) 

🔸Philippine Sports Commission (PSC)

🔸National Chess Federation of the Philippines(NCFP)

🔸Far Eastern University (FEU)

🔸Endgame Sports Multi- Events, Inc. (ESMI)"

It doesn't end there guys. The Philippine Chess Trainers Association of the Philippines:

 

Upgrade, Learn & Apply!

Our invitation to  CHESS: Coaches, Arbiters, Enthusiasts, Club Leaders, Teachers, Parent & PCTAP Refresher.

Registration Forms thru Online may contact Ms. Jasmine Navarez thru FB Chat or Text/Call @

09453990002.

Fee: 

1,500 - New Delegates

*Inclusive of PCTAP & NCFP Membership

800 - PCTAP Members / Delegates previously attended the seminar.

*Plus Renewal of PCTAP & NCFP Membership.

For registration pls. send to 

NA Francis Ramos, 

BATCH Treasurer  

@ Gcash no.0919-2842136.  

Then, please send the copy of remittance thru chat with the name of delegates to 

NA Francis Ramos.

 

Set Up the Chess Board in 8 Easy Steps

Here is your quick guide to setting up the chess board in Eight Easy Steps:

1. Make sure you have the WHITE Square on your RIGHT.

2. Put the WHITE pieces on the RANKS 1 and 2.

3. Make sure you put the WHITE ROOKS on a1 and h1 while the BLACK ROOKS on a8 and h8.

4. Put the WHITE KNIGHTS on b1 and g1 while the BLACK KNIGHTS on b8 and g8.

5. Put the WHITE BISHOPS on c1 and f1 while the BLACK BISHOPS on c8 and f8.

6. Put the WHITE QUEEN on d1 and the BLACK QUEEN on d8.

7. Put the WHITE KING on e1 and the BLACK KING on e8.

8. Last step, put the WHITE PAWNS on the SECOND RANK: a2, b2, c2, d2, e2, f2, g2 and h2. You will put the BLACK PAWNS on the SEVENTH RANK a7, b7, c7, d7, e7, f7, g7, h7.

And you are ready to play.

Don't forget to SUBSCRIBE on my YouTube Channel at #CoachFrancisVideoCenter.

  

Philippine's National Coaches and Trainers' On-line Workshops 2020

Got time to spare for the coming weekend? Are you a parent to a child chess wonder? Are you a teacher needing some boost on how to run an online chess lesson and training?

Here's what you need, the National Coaches and Trainers' On-line Workshops with Asia's first ever Grandmaster, Eugene Torre. He will be running the show with GM Jayson Gonzales.

Join now!

Deadly Checkmate 1: Anastasia's Mate

Hi there!

So how did you get in here? Were you directed from my YouTube video on Deadly Checkmate series? This video series I am making is based on the work on GM Murray Chandler "How to Beat Your Dad at Chess".

Here is the typical pattern for Anastasia's Mate:



After watching my video on Anastasia's Mate, it's your turn to look for the checkmate and practice what you've learned. Good luck!

Exercise 1:



Exercise 2:



Exercise 3:





I hope you guys enjoyed doing detective work on Anastasia's Mate. Make sure you subscribe on our YouTube Channel here and Follow this Blog too!

Until next time!  Paalam  muna!

My Random Musing during Holy Week 2020

By now the #StayAtHome has become the call for prevention from an unlikely but fatal enemy, Coronavirus. Also known as Covid-19, it has spread to a number of countries around the world. The virus which was called as NCOV before the World Health Organization declared the infection as Global Pandemic mid-March, came out of China. You ask yourself "how many people died in China from Coronavirus?"

What is it like to stay home, be forced to distance yourself from other people while being paranoid from people about getting sick with the virus?

For one, it can be boring if you won't find a way to do something. Second, you will appreciate what you have in your life. We are bombarded with so many social media trends that for once you feel like throwing your phone away and never to pick it up until your sane enough to read through the negativity that emanates from your friends' shout outs.

Where do we go to for all the noise this world is giving us?

I have my own sanctuary, Family prayers.

Every night at six, since March 15, my family has prayed the Holy Rosary. In two days we will be celebrating Palm Sunday and I really want to catch that Sunday Mass TV. Next week is Holy Week and this will be the first time since 2005 that I wont be able to do my Visita Iglesia. #SocialDistancing and #STAYHOME, because.

For every isolation and meditation, one asks the following:

1. Coronavirus prevention tips, which one must I follow?

2. How can I prevent coronavirus?

3. Is it airborne? Various sources give differing asnwers.

4. How do I make a facial mask?

5. Sanitizer gel, how can I make one?

6. Where can I buy disinfectant sprays?

These are some of the random questions you get to ask yourself. I still have lots of 'em:

7. What are the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) Online courses that can take?

8. Will we get our share from the Landbank allotment of Php 10-B Emergency loan to LGUs?

9. The so-called social amelioration program of the government, when will it start?

10. With all the chaos happening, how can we move forward and live a peaceful life?

I have some answers:

Gabbi Garcia and Khalil Ramos starts fundraiser for corona virus frontliners. Feel-good news for a world that's been broken by personal agendas and politicking. Nairobi and her gang is back today on Netflix. Go ahead and binge-watch!

Do you want peace or war? These are the guys at the forefront of every debates, arguments and unfriending: Duterte. Robredo. DDS. Yellow-tards. Bong Go. Governor Remulla and Laguna Governor.

In Hollywood, we have Trump, New York and the rest of the United States of A getting sick and not knowing how to recover.

In China, they've got the solution to every problem, and the answer to every question. And the whole world is pointing fingers at them for spreading this virus. While everyone is getting sick, China is buying, building and bullying weaker economies and nations.


Department of Social Welfare and Development must be at the center of every transaction to help people in dire need of food, housing and support. But how can you be effective when you have not expected any of these? And you haven't been preparing for anything like this?

Watching live streams of news from local news TV, one gets to realize one thing: the world as we know it is over. From news casting, to learning with Zoom as one's platform and watching the Baranggay Tanod do their rounds at 8 PM to the tune of The Purge, everything has changed and we either adapt or perish.

So will you be doing the Seven Churches Visit via the Internet? Whats the weather like in your area? Here in Cavite, it's frying hot.

Yes, schools have closed and so are the businesses and services that we once hated for duping all of us into the economy of living. The NBA season is never coming back and si is the Candidates Matches of FIDE, the world governing body of Chess.

Do you know of a place where there is no corona virus?

Do you  know of a school that operates like before?

Is there cure for this sickness?

So what's news?

I have run three chess tournaments online with my players from different schools.

I have uploaded chess videos over at my channel.

I'm sleepy now. I'll be back next Sunday, hopefully, refreshed from a week of praying and fasting.

Holy week 2020 is here and I'm officially logging off.

And my internet sucks!

Semper Ad Meloria!

White with A Draw Move

Here's  a position I played this afternoon with the black pieces.  White forces a draw with what move? 

Chess: Reminders for the Tactical Warriors to Be

After a long post on the Study Plan for Chess Students, I felt like sharing a couple of diagrams to show you what I meant. But knowing how rich the Internet is for chess literature and resources, I felt it would be better to share websites that offer training on the said topic: Tactics.

Here they are:

1. Introduction to Chess Tactics
2. Chess Tempo
3. Chess Tactics Server
4. Red Hot Pawn

You can also look for paid resources and one of the best sites for chess training is ICC or the Internet Chess Club. It is the place to be for all chess-related needs, for a fee.

Here's one paid site that I feel should be promoted because I have found the resources  and content to be very useful for my chess teaching: Professor Chess.

Go happy finding those tactics!

Study Plan for Chess Students

So much has been written and said about the 'right" approach for learning chess and not one is completely wrong but most are not completely right either. Because of several factors that play in the learning process, the right approach would always be the hit-and-miss for the completely isolated, self-study chess beginner. The single most commonly forgotten factor when we talk about these so-called study plans for chess students is of course this --> Human factor.

I advise you to visit and read through the following links: Chess Study Plan from CHESSDOTCOM, Confessions of a Chess Novice and Dan Heisman's Get Better at Chess.

What are the commonalities from these programs? Can you find the 'em? Then let me know by writing your comments on the comment section of this blog.

But here are my thoughts for the title of this post:

1. Keep playing and NEVER RESIGN from any game. Just like any endeavor, sports, academics, music, arts and other sort of stuff, you need to immerse yourself in your pursuit. One caveat: know when to rest.

2. Tactics, tactics and more tactics.  Chess is a strategy game and with strategy comes tactics. The Internet has so much to give for free when it comes to practicing and improving your tactical abilities. Solve puzzles at least 30 minutes a day.

3. Work on simple and basic Endgame study. Start with your K and Q checkmate, move up to K and R checkmate and continue on to other k plus other pieces combination. Its interesting to note that the K+ B+N checkmating practice never cease to give me headaches. Try it for yourself.

4. Annotate your games. Having said that, it means you have to notate your long games, review them and replay them. Postmortem so to speak.

5. Limit your games to long games, 60/G would be a great starter for this gives you the chance to adhere to Richard James important reminders. In his book  called School Lessons Volume 1 he shared the following "what-to-look-for-when-its-your-turn-to-move:

Checkmates

Checks

Captures

If on your move you could not find any of those three ideas mentioned above, you can do the look for the following:

Threats

Development

Center Control

And always, you should be looking out for two things:

Your King Safety

Attacking your Opponent's King

I hope this helps even for a bit and I wish you keep pushing those pawns all the way to your cherished dream of  chess domination.

Chess Endgame: Hunting for the Win

Here's another post on chess, tactical exercises for finding checkmates. The diagram below asks you to find the mate in 3 with Black to move.
























This one: look for Mate in 2 with White to move first:

 

Whatya' think Mike?

End of Scholastic Chess Camp 2016

Today we had the final day of Scholastic Chess Camp 2016 @ Wack Wack Golf and Country Club. We celebrated our last day by playing in several chess tournaments online-- at chessDOTcom and Chesscube. It was fulfilling to see my newest camper, Mike Al win his first championship over at chessDOTcom. Mike Al's only goal was to rank up his rating to at least 1200 but at the end of the day, his rating was much higher than Drew dlr.

"I've done it coach!" -Mike Al

Drew dlr placed fourth in a tournament where we both qualified to join in and in fact we played against each other in the 4th round. I will surely miss this boy as he moves on to high school. I have high hopes for him in his academics and when he represents his school in chess in the next four years. This year he will be reunited with David F and other former teammates. I'm sure they will bring pride and honor to their school.


Sandro F was quite a bit confused the entire 2 weeks of chess camp but the good thing is that he was aware of it. Mike and Drew were very supportive of him and that they made sure they offered help when Sandro needed one. Sandro would need to put in more "chess time" this summer so he can provide the necessary points for us to win our sixth MISAA Chess tournament this coming school year. Fingers crossed.

I have posted several photos of our day-to-day activities in the last eight days on our Official Facebook Page.


I would like to thank everyone who supported our camp especially the Lola of Sandro F for allowing us to use her place as our venue, thanks Ma'm!

Thank you too to the parents of our campers, Drew dlr and Mike Al, for entrusting their kids' chess development to me in the last six years.

Thanks be to God!

And with that, I officially begin my summer break.

Hanggang sa muli!  

Chess Camp 2016 @ Wack Wack Village

Our Chess Camp 2016 begins tomorrow at Wack Wack Golf and Country Club. We are on our fourth year of offering this by-invitation-only chess camp. Everything is set and everyone's rarin' to push those pawns and pieces.

Scholastic Chess Camp 2016 will run for eight sessions from June 6-9 and 13-16 with weekend breaks including Fridays.  I'm in the process of having a guest player join our camp on our last day for our tournament. Hope this one pushes through.

Scholastic Interventions

Scholastic Interventions is a dream, a project and a mission by our family: Francis, Claire and our four kids Pat, Free, Migs & Fids.

Scholastic Interventions (SI) is envisioned to give and provide interventions in the areas of academics, sports and events by providing workshops, mentoring, coaching and consultancy in the academe and baranggay communities.

SI has been working with kids of all abilities in several places, community-based and school-based settings. Since 2004, we have reached out and provided privately-sponsored activities like chess camps, basketball camps, teacher training development and events organization. Work in the areas of Marian Spirituality has always been the main motivation of Francis and Claire.

As of April 2016, we have decided to change our name (and dream) from Creative Education Interventions to Scholastic Interventions to reflect a more realistic description to what we have been doing:  doing interventions in the context of scholastic endeavors: teacher training and development, reading camp, chess camp and basketball camp.

To date, Scholastic Chess Camp and Scholastic Basketball Camp are the two major projects we use to help spread and promote Marian virtues and teachings together with the basics of the two sports. We have produced several student-athletes in the last twelve years and they are now giving back by assisting us in our weekend projects in Cavite, Quezon and Manila.

Help us in our endeavor, pray with us and promote physical, spiritual, academic health and wellness among the youth of our nation. Anywhere you may be.

It is worth mentioning that in the last couple of years, Jason F of OBBO Socks has been helping us in bringing our Scholastic Basketball Camp in Imus City.

For the Glory of God, in the service Men.

Semper Ad Meloria!

Bobby Fischer Teaches Chess

As we celebrate the birthday anniversary of Robert "Bobby" Fischer, the American chess Grandmaster and the eleventh World Chess Champion, I am sharing one of my favorite chess books: Bobby Fischer Teaches Chess. A chess puzzle book written by Fischer himself and co-authored by Stuart Marguiles and Don Mosenfelder. Both Marguiles and Mosenfelder were leaders in the educational design of their time.

A great starter book for any beginner or interested student of the game. I have given copies of this book to my students and friends. I have repeatedly read and gone through the pages through the years and it helped sharpen my chess skills: tactics and more tactics.

He was an eccentric genius who was known for his controversial public remarks in his later years. He had trouble with the United States Government and this prevented him from going back to his native country in the last years of his life.

Happy birthday Bobby!

En Passant Chess Tournament

‘En Passant’

Age Group & 2050 and below

Rapid Chess Tournament

Sunday, 8:30 am, July 20, 2014

@ Alphaland Southgate Mall, Makati City

TOURNAMENT GUIDELINES

Age Group  - Open to all non-titled chess players (regardless of gender and ratings,  the following as follows;

·         Under 10 – Born not earlier than 2004

·         Under 13 – Born not earlier than 2001

·         Under 16 – born not earlier than 1998

2050 & Below - Open to all non-titled, untitled, unrated and rated chess players with NCFP latest ratings as of June 2014,  regardless of age and gender, who are members in good standing with the National Chess Federation of the Philippines (NCFP).  However, titled kiddies can join on this division.

1.       The new FIDE Laws of Chess, (which took effect on July 1, 2014) particularly the new Laws on Rapid Chess, shall govern the tournament. (ground rule will be posted onsite)

2.       The tournament format shall be seven or more rounds Swiss System, depending on the number of participants.         

3.       The time control shall be twenty (20) minutes with 5 seconds time delay mode (Bronstein)

Age-Group	Under 10	Under 13	Under 16	2050 & Below
Champion	2000 + trophy	2500 +trophy	3000 + trophy	5000 + trophy
2nd place	1500 + medal	1,500 + medal	1,500 + medal	3000 + medal
3rdplace	1000 + medal	1000 + medal	1000 + medal	2000 + medal
4th place	700 +medal	700 + medal	700 + medal	1,000.00
5th place	600 + medal	600 + medal	600 + medal	700.00
6th to 8th place	200 + medal	300 + medal	300 + medal
6th to 10th  place				500.00
Top Female	500 + medal	500 + medal	500 + medal	600
Top 2000 Below				600
Top 1950 Below				600
Top College				600
Top Unrated				300

6.  Participants should bring any proof of age (e.g. birth certificate or government-issued I.D.)

7.      For inquiries, please call/text the following arbiters/organizers:

FNA  ALEX DINOY                      -  0922-8288510                 

FNA XIAN JAVIER                      - 0929-4558931

FNA  MILES SAMANIEGO        -  0932-4913833                 

FNA FERDIE REYES                   - 0998-3702528

FNA  GATZ LUZ                            -  0925 -8884859                

8.       Registration Fee: P250.00 for Age-Group and P300 for 2050 division free lunch for each participant.

9.       Maximum of 300 participants on a first-come, first- served basis only.

Officiated and  sanctioned by: NCFP and Chess Arbiters Union of the Philippines

                                                                                

GM Barbosa's Olympiad Deadline

Joey Villar's continuing coverage of the Philippine chess has given us much information about the status of the players in our country. This time, it is GM Oliver Barbosa given until Thursday of this week to decide whether  he will join the Philippine team for the Tromso Olympiad or not.


Here is Joey's article: Barbosa given until Thursday to decide joining Phl team in Chess Olympiad.

Although lately I've been reading Joey's write-ups on his blog, I still am a big follower of Bobby Ang's Chess Piece column at the Business World and I've yet to read about this.


National Chess Federation of the Philippines' officials must be having tremendous time right now due to the fact that most Pinoy GM's are following the lead of Wesley So in moving to the US of A.

Corruption of the soul and corruption of the mind leads to corruption in the society.

Good luck to Philippine Chess and to all the Filipino chess players who have represented the country before and were taken for granted by NCFP.

Sayang ang mga talent. Tsk! Tsk!

2nd Saturday Chess @ Alphaland Mall

Well here is an upcoming tournament happening on the 12th of July at the Alphaland Mall:

The Face of Webster University

Wesley So is the current face of Webster University.

Beat that!

Drawn Game in Time Trouble

Here is a game I played early this morning. Time trouble causes a chessplayer to miss out on basic, simple checkmating maneuvers. After gaining a Bishop in the almost-endgame part of the game, I had difficulty playing out moves to trap his King.

Here it is:

[Event "Live Chess"] [Site "Chess.com"] [Date "2013.11.14"] [Round "?"]
[White "The_Brown_ManPH"] [Black "tebogo555555"] [Result "1/2-1/2"]
[WhiteElo "1436"] [BlackElo "1355"] [PlyCount "111"] [EventDate "2013.??.??"]
[TimeControl "2"]

1. e4 c5 2. f4 Nc6 3. Nf3 d6 4. Bb5 Bd7 5. O-O g6 6. d3 Bg7 7. c3 Nf6 8. Be3 O-O 9. h3 a6 10. Ba4 b5 11. Bc2 e6 12. Nbd2 Re8 13. Nh2 Rc8 14. e5 dxe5 15. Bxc5 exf4 16. Rxf4 Ne5 17. d4 Nc4 18. Ne4 Nxe4 19. Rxe4 Bc6 20. Re1 Bd5 21. b3 Nd6 22. Ng4 Nf5 23. Be4 Bxe4 24. Rxe4 Qc7 25. Qf3 Rcd8 26. Rae1 Nh4 27. Qf2 Nf5 28. Rf1 a5 29. Ne3 b4 30. Nxf5 exf5 31. Rxe8+ Rxe8 32. cxb4 axb4 33. Bxb4 Bxd4 34. Qxd4 Rd8 35. Qf6 Rd3 36. Ba3 Qb6+ 37. Kh1 Rd2 38. Be7 Qb7 39. Rg1 Qa8 40. Bb4 Qxa2 41. Bxd2 Qxd2 42. Qe7 Kg7 43. Qe5+ Kh6 44. Qg3 Qg5 45. h4 Qd2 46. Qg5+ Kg7 47. Qxd2 h5 48. Kh2 f4 49. g3 g5 50. Kh3 Kh7 51. Qd4 g4+ 52. Kh2 Kh6 53. gxf4 g3+ 54. Kxg3 f5 55. Qf6+ Kh7 56. Kf3 1/2-1/2

Bishop and Knight Checkmate

Here is one more game to add to my collection of quick won games. After this blitz-1-minute-game, my opponent punished me with 12 consecutive defeats before I won again and he quit.

So here it is, a nine-move checkmate right from the opening:

LSMS-Chess @ Brent 2013

The League of Southern Manila Schools-Chess Tournament is happening this Saturday, October 19, 2013. The tournament was rescheduled from the original date of October 12 due to typhoon Santi. The time control is 30/g.

Format for the tournament is kinda' odd though:

2013 LSMS CHESS TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP

TOURNAMENT RULES AND REGULATIONS

I.              GENERAL:

1.     The Tournament is open to all chess teams representing the Member Schools of the League of Southern Manila Schools (LSMS). This event will be conducted in four (4) separate Divisions, namely; the BOYS & GIRLS GRADE SCHOOL DIVISION and the BOYS & GIRLS HIGH SCHOOL DIVISION.

2.     Each participating team shall be composed of Five (5) players; whereby, Four (4) Regular Board Players and one (1) Alternate. The competition shall be played over Four (4) Boards.

3.     The playing members of each team must be listed in the order of their specific board assignments (Boards 1 to 4) which shall be strictly observed throughout the tournament.

4.     All players shall maintain their designated board assignments during the entire duration of the event. In no case shall a player play on a board lower higher than his original board assignment. Substitution of players shall be done via Slide-Rule.

5.     The color assignments (White or Black) based on the Pairing shall be referred to Board 1 & 3 players. The Board 2 & 4 teammates shall play the opposite color as assigned on the Pairing.

6.     The FIDE Laws of Active Chess, unless otherwise specified in these rules, shall govern the tournament.

II.            TOURNAMENT SCHEDULES AND VENUE:

This two (2)-day competition will be held at the Atrium Area of Brent International School-Manila, Brentville Subdivision, Brgy. Mamplasan, Biñan, Laguna, and will have the following schedules;

D A T E	T I M E	A C T I V I T Y
October  19, 2012 ( Saturday )	8:00 AM – 9:00 AM   9:00 AM – 10:00 AM  10:10 AM – 11:10 AM 11:20 AM – 12:20 PM 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM 2:10 PM – 3:10 PM	Submission of Team Line-up and Coaches’ Meeting R O U N D  1 (Elimination Phase) R O U N D  2 (Elimination Phase) R O U N D  3 (Elimination Phase) R O U N D  4 (Elimination Phase) R O U N D  5 (Elimination Phase)
October 26, 2012 ( Saturday )	8:30 AM – 9:30 AM    9:40 AM – 10:40 AM 10:50 AM – 11:50 AM 12:30 PM	R O U N D  1 (Championship Phase) R O U N D  2 (Championship Phase) R O U N D  3 (Championship Phase) Awarding Ceremony

                

NOTE:      The Starting Time for each Game may vary or be adjusted as the need arises.

III.           TOURNAMENT SYSTEM & FORMAT:

1.     Each Division will be conducted in a FIVE (5) ROUND SWISS SYSTEM ELIMINATION PHASE. The Seed Number of each Team will be determined thru the Drawing-of-Lots which will be conducted during the Coaches’ Meeting. After the Elimination Phase, the TOP FOUR (4) TEAMS in each Division shall then advance to the CHAMPIONSHIP PHASE. In the Championship Phase, the four (4) chess teams shall compete in a SINGLE ROUND-ROBIN FORMAT. Their seeding of these four teams will be based on their Final Ranking in the Elimination Phase. The team with the highest total Game Points after the Single Round-Robin will be declared the Champion Team.

2.     The Scoring System shall be Game Points. The Defaulting Time will be set 15 minutes after the start of every Game.

3.     The Rate of Play for each player to make all his/her moves necessary to finish the game shall be THIRTY (30) MINUTES. The use of chess clocks shall be mandatory.

4.     Recording of moves is OPTIONAL. However, each team, through their Coach and/or Team Captain, must fill-up and submit the Team Result Form to the Chief Arbiter for proper recording of every Match Result.

IV.           TIE-BREAK SYSTEM:

1.     For the Final Ranking in the Elimination Phase and the Final Standings in the Championship Phase, ties shall be broken as follows;

1.1       Total Match Points,

1.2       Direct Encounter (result of the match/es between/among the tied teams (winner-over-the-other). If the match is drawn (1-1 tie), then the result of the game on Board 1 shall decide the tie. If the result on Board 1 is a draw, then the result of the game on Board 2 shall decide the tie. . If the result on Board 3 is a draw, then the result of the game on Board 4 shall decide the tie.

1.3       Sonnenborn-Berger (SB) System.

1.4       More No. of wins based on Match points

2.     For the Final Individual Board Results (players tied only on percentages), based on the Elimination Phase;

2.1       by winner-over-the-other,

2.2       by the most number of games played,

2.3       by the most number of won games,

2.4       by the most number of black pieces handled

I wonder how can there be ONLY four teams in the championship round if there will be 2 sets of Top 4 teams after the elimination phase---remember the two divisions? Gotta ask my Athletics Director about this.

In the meantime, the position below came up in our chess training the other in our Sports Program After School: