TORIL BETS SHINE IN THE NAT'L AGE- GROUP CHESS CHAMPIONSHIPS

John Ray Batucan ( with blue t-shirt )

Austin Jacob Literatus (with red t-shirt )

Nikki Yngayo ( with pink t-shirt )

Austin Jacob Literatus won his last round game against Felix Shaun Balbona to grab second place in the boys 12 under category in the 2009 National Age Group Chess Championships held at Boracay, Aklan on April 18 to 21, 2009. Literatus scored 5.5 pts in 7 rounds together with Jerad Docena but grabbed 2nd place due to better tie-breaks. The Championship went to Paulo Bersamina who scored 6 pts. There were 34 players entered in the said category.

John Ray Batucan who was the champion in the boys 12 under last year, was not so lucky in the last round. Needing only a draw to bag the championship in the much tougher boys 14 under, Batucan lost to Dave Patrick Dulay in a huge upset, relegating himself to a tie for third place wit 5 pts. 29 players were entered in the said category won by Vince Angelo Medina with 5.5 pts. Older brother Neptali Batucan placed 12th in the boys 16 under won by National Master Alcon John Datu. Nikki Erica Yngayo landed a respectable 5th place in the girls 16 under won by Akiko Charmaine Suede.

2009 NATIONAL AGE GROUP CHESS CHAMPIONSHIP BOYS 12 UNDER CATEGORY
Final Ranking after 7 Rounds

Rk. Name FED Rtg Pts. TB1 TB2 TB3
1 BERSAMINA Paulo Phi 1853 6,0 0,0 31,5 26,25
2 LITERATUS Austin Jacob Phi 0 5,5 0,0 30,0 22,00
3 DOCENA Jerad Phi 1867 5,5 0,0 28,5 22,25
4 MEJIA Giovanni Phi 1884 5,0 0,0 31,5 21,25
5 ANONAS Keen Leannu Phi 0 5,0 0,0 27,5 17,00
6 CARANYAGAN Carlo Phi 1958 5,0 0,0 26,5 16,00
7 OTERO Lanz Renuel Phi 1799 4,5 0,0 27,0 15,25
8 BALBONA Felix Shaun Phi 1750 4,5 0,0 27,0 13,75
9 CUNANAN Homel Aristotle Phi 1621 4,5 0,0 26,0 15,00
10 DAWAL Micah Phi 0 4,0 0,0 29,5 16,00

2009 NATIONAL AGE GROUP CHESS CHAMPIONSHIP BOYS 14 UNDER CATEGORY
Final Ranking after 7 Rounds

Rk. Name FED Rtg Pts. TB1 TB2 TB3
1 MEDINA Vince Angelo Phi 1873 5,5 0,5 30,5 23,25
2 CRISTOBAL Kristian Paulo Phi 1805 5,5 0,5 27,0 19,75
3 BATUCAN John Ray Phi 1912 5,0 1,0 32,5 22,00
4 EVANGELISTA Paul Robert Phi 1529 5,0 1,0 25,5 15,00
5 DULAY Dave Patrick Phi 1778 5,0 1,0 25,0 17,50
6 ALFONSO Jeremiah Phi 0 4,5 0,0 26,5 14,00
7 ANDADOR Lyster Franz Phi 0 4,5 0,0 25,5 13,00
8 BALBONA Marq Gabrielle Phi 1699 4,0 0,0 30,5 16,50
9 SURPOSA Jeazzir Kline Phi 1733 4,0 0,0 27,5 13,25
10 ZAMORA Earl John Phi 0 4,0 0,0 27,0 14,25

Girls 16 under category
Final Ranking after 5 Rounds

Rk. Name FED Rtg Pts. TB1 TB2 TB3
1 SUEDE Akiko Charmaine Phi 1867 4,5 0,0 14,0 12,00
2 SUEDE Mikee Charlene Phi 1830 4,0 0,0 13,5 10,25
3 PINEDA Judith Phi 1723 3,5 0,0 11,0 7,00
4 CAMACHO Chardine Cheradee Phi 2018 3,0 0,0 16,0 7,50
5 YNGAYO Nikki Erica Phi 0 3,0 0,0 15,0 6,50
6 BERNALES Christy Lamiel Phi 1917 3,0 0,0 14,5 7,00
7 NAHUDAN Eibtizam Phi 1794 3,0 0,0 11,5 6,00
8 GALLANO Geveve Phi 0 2,5 0,0 12,0 4,50
9 URETA FLORENCE LOISE Phi 0 2,5 0,0 11,5 5,25
10 CHUA Carol Anne Phi 0 2,5 0,0 10,5 4,75

ENGR. ANSELMO "JUN " ATMOSFERA JR. - A PILLAR OF TORIL CHESS

April 25, 2009 6:00 P.M


( Engr. Jun Atmosfera vs. Atty. Jong Guevarra in 1st round action during the 1st IM Marlo Micayabas Toril Chess Challenge 2009 )


( Engr. Atmosfera of Team Fischer vs. ASEAN under 12 champ John Ray Batucan of Team Kramnik in the 1st Congressman Ungab Toril Team Tournament )


Engr. Jun Atmosfera is one of the reasons why Toril Chess is still alive and kicking, so to speak. He sponsored some local tournaments and bankrolled the participation of Toril Chess team lead by National Master Miguel Te in the National Inter-Cities Team Tournament in the 1990's when he was still the manager of Borden Chemicals Inc..

Engr. Atmosfera started his chess career as the Team Captain of UST Engineering Team that won three consecutive intramural chess tournaments from 1961-1964. NM Sammy Estimo was the board 1 player for the Law team during that time.He was also the Toril Open Chess champion in 1974 and 1981 and became the Davao Executive Chess champion in 2002. Just recently, he lead the Fischer team in capturing the 1st Cong.Ungab Cup Toril Team Tournament. He is a mean tactical player and thrives in open and complicated position. Watch how he demolished one of Davao City's top player Engr. Nofre Reyes.

2nd Pelagio Guevarra Memorial Chess Tourney, Gaisano Mall, Davao City
Finals, Round 8, July 13, 2003 Time control: 30mins/player
Opening: Sicilian, Najdorf variation

Atmosfera, Jun (White) vs. Reyes, Nofre (Black)
( Annotations by Engr. Jun Atmosfera )

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.Bg5

The Richter-Rauzer attack.

6...e6 7.f4 Qc7 8.Qf3 Nbd7 9.0-0-0 Be7 10.g4 b5
11.Bxf6 Nxf6 12. g5 Nd7 13.f5

The Asfora gambit, named after a Brazilian FIDE Master, M. Asfora, who used it extensively in the 70's. The stem game, however, is between Parma and Bogdanovic at Titovo Uzice, 1966. After Parma's 13.f5, the game continued 13...Nc5 14.f6 gxf6 15.gxf6 Bf8 16.Bh3 Bd7 17.Qh5 0-0-0 18.Qxf7 Bh6+ 19.Kb1 Rdf8 20.Qh5 Rxf6 21.e5! dxe5
22.Nxe6! Bxe6 23.Nd5 Qf7 24.Qxe5 Bxh3 25.Nxf6 Na4 26.Rd6! Black's position was hopeless - analysis by GM Svetozar Gligoric, "Game of the Month", Chess Life and Review, Dec. 1974).

13...Bxg5+

At first glance, it seems that White blundered by giving away a pawn with check, which is very tempting not to grab.

14.Kb1 Ne5 15.Qh5 Qe7 16.Nxe6 Bxe6 17.fxe6 g6

Better was 17... 0-0.

18.exf7+ Kxf7 19.Qe2 Kg7 20.Nd5 Qb7?

Best was Qd8 to prevent White's next move. Black is giving too many concessions. In the post-mortem analysis, Nofre said that he made this move to have an attack on the e4 pawn.

21.h4 Be7 22.h5 Rhf8 23.hg hg 24.Qe3 Rh8

Maybe Ng4 is better although White can play either 25.Qc3+ or Qd4+.

25.Be2 Rxh1 26.Rxh1 Rh8 27.Rxh8 Kxh8 28.Qh6+ Kg8 29.Bg4! Kf7?

Taking the bishop would have been a lesser evil as White wins only the g6 pawn. After the text, White has a forced win.

30.Qh7+ Ke8 31.Qg8+ Bf8 32.Nf6+ Ke7 33.Qe6+ Kd8 34.Qe8+ Kc7 35.Nd5+

Black's Queen is lost.

Qxd5 36.exd5 Nxg4 37.Qxf8 1-0

The term "Asfora Gambit" was first used by Mr. Arthur Sales (I wonder if he is related to FM Jesse Noel Sales), a chess columnist of the old newspaper Bulletin Today dated May 18, 1973, under his column "Chess Corner". In Bobby Ang's Chess Piece article of March 7, 2003, he featured the game between GM Bojan Vuckovic and IM Nakamura at Bermuda, 2002 which Nakamura won by accepting the g5 pawn after 13.f5Also mentioned in the notes to that game was the late NM Ben Flores' win in a crucial game as black by taking the gambit pawn against Iceland's GM Jon Gunnarsson in the 1998 Elista World Chess Olympiad.

Replay the game using CAISSA'S WEB PGN Editor

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[Event "2nd Pelagio Guevarra Memorial Chess Tourney"]
[Site "Gaisano Mall, Davao City, Philippines"]
[Date "2003.7.13"]
[Round "8"]
[White "Engr. Jun Atmosfera "]
[Black "Engr. Nofre Reyes"]
[Result "1-0"]
[WhiteELO "1850"]
[BlackELO "2055"]

%Created by Caissa's Web PGN Editor
1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 a6 6. Bg5 e6 7. f4 Qc7 8.
Qf3 Nbd7 9. O-O-O Be7 10. g4 b5 11. Bxf6 Nxf6 12. g5 Nd7 13. f5 Bxg5+ 14. Kb1
Ne5 15. Qh5 Qe7 16. Nxe6 Bxe6 17. fxe6 g6 18. exf7+ Kxf7 19. Qe2 Kg7 20. Nd5
Qb7 21. h4 Be7 22. h5 Rhf8 23. hxg6 hxg6 24. Qe3 Rh8 25. Be2 Rxh1 26. Rxh1
Rh8 27. Rxh8 Kxh8 28. Qh6+ Kg8 29. Bg4 Kf7 30. Qh7+ Ke8 31. Qg8+ Bf8 32. Nf6+
Ke7 33. Qe6+ Kd8 34. Qe8+ Kc7 35. Nd5+ Qxd5 36. exd5 Nxg4 37. Qxf8 1-0

TUNE-UP GAMES WITH THE COMMISSION ON AUDIT (COA) PLAYERS

April 25, 2009 12:30 P.M

I was invited yesterday, along with former members of the Holy Cross varsity chess team, to play tune-up games with the members of the COA Region XI Chess Team. The tune-up games served as the final preparation of the COA Region XI Team for the 2009 Mindanao COA Sportsfest scheduled on April 28 to 30, 2009 of which COA Region XI is the defending chess champion. The COA team members are Leo Ordiz, Engr. Cesar Lomboy, Rolando Manila and Romy Larayos Jr. with Bobby Ochada as their Team Manager. Leo and Cesar were my contemporaries during my Anda Chess Club days where most of my school allowance were spent as tuition fee to the resident chess hustlers. Engr. Lomboy was once a classmate in the UM College of Law but was forced to stop because of various field assignments while working with COA. Romy, on the other hand, is a constant visitor in our chess club and had played in our previous team tournament.

Aside from me, other invited players were Henry Lopez, Reynaldo Abaa, Junrie Salubre, and Micheal Gilbang. I promised the COA team to host a goodwill match between their Team and the Toril Chess Club provided that they will retain the championship of which I am confident that they will accomplish.

To the COA Region XI Chess Team, GOOD LUCK AND BRING HOME THE BACON!!

ERWIN TUBOG TOPS 1ST IM MARLO MICAYABAS TORIL CHESS CHALLENGE

( President of MTCA, Atty. Jong Guevarra Jr. awarding the President's Cup to the Champion Erwin Tubog )

April 22, 2009 2:30 P.M

Erwin Tubog scored 10 wins, 2 draws against a solitary loss in 13 rounds of intense chess competition to emerged as the Champion in the just concluded 1st IM Marlo Micayabas Toril Chess Challenge. Tubog's only loss was inflicted by Davao City's Kiddie Champ Austin Jacob Literatus who, incidentally, is a nephew of IM Micayabas. Erwin Tubog is a second year college student of the Holy Cross of Davao and a member of its vaunted Chess varsity team who will represent Southern Mindanao in the National PRISSAA Games under the guidance of its able coach National Master Prospero "Bebot" Cruz. He received P 4,000.00 + the President's Cup.

Candidate Master Henry Fajardo and University of Mindanao varsity player Adrian Llanos both scored 9.5 pts to share the 2nd and 3rd places although Fajardo emerged the 2nd placer due to better tie-break. Both of them received P 2,000.00 each. Austin Jacob Literatus scored 9 pts. to placed 4th while ASEAN under 12 double gold medallist John Ray Batucan scored 8 pts. to salvaged 5th place. Literatus received P 1,000.00 while Batucan received P 500.00. Official arbiter of the tournament was Engr. Nofre Reyes.

The last round of the tourney was played last April 8,2009 in the rest house of Atty. Jong Guevarra ( Metro Toril Chess Association President) at Eden, Bayabas, Toril District after which a small salo-salo and awarding of prizes followed. National Chess Federation of the Philippines (NCFP) Region XI Director James Infiesto graced the occasion. Atty. Jong Guevarra declared the tourney a huge success as the winners circle were dominated by the young guns of Toril chess. The tournament also served as a tune-up for the Toril players who participated in various national competitions such as the the National Age Group competitions held in Boracay and the National PRISSA games.

During the awarding of prizes, Atty. Guevarra proposely thanked IM Micayabas for his support to Toril chess and other chess patron such as Glen Paclar, Engr. Jun Atmosfera and the Guevarra Law Office for their contribution towards the success of the said tournament.

Final standing:

11 pts. - Erwin Tubog
9.5 pts.- Henry Fajardo, Adrian Llanos
9.0 pts.- Austin Jacob Literatus
8.0 pts.- John Ray Batucan
7.5 pts.- Atty. Jong Guevarra Jr.
7.0 pts.- Neptali Batucan
6.5 pts.- May Micayabas
6.0 pts.- Anthony Mosqueda
5.5 pts.- Engr. Jun Atmosfera
4.5 pts.- Nestor Ngo
4.0 pts.- Alexander Jover
3.0 pts.- Dondon Ostaco
0.0 pts.- Jay Sellon (dropped)

more photos..


Candidate Master Henry Fajardo (with hat) in action against Ali Jover


Atty. Jong Guevarra Jr. vs. lone female participant May Micayabas

CHANGING OF THE GUARD IN PHILIPPINE CHESS

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[Event "Battle o the GM 2"]
[Site "Dapitan, Zamboanga, Philippines"]
[Date "2009.3.25"]
[Round "3rd "]
[White "GM Eugene Torre "]
[Black "GM Wesley So"]
[Result "0-1"]
[WhiteELO "2560"]
[BlackELO "2627"]

%Created by Caissa's Web PGN Editor
1. d4 Nf6 2. Nf3 d5 3. c4 c6 4. Nc3 a6 5. cxd5 cxd5 6. Bf4 Nc6 7. Rc1 Bf5 8.
e3 Rc8 9. a3 e6 10. Be2 Be7 11. O-O O-O 12. Nd2 Na5 13. Na2? b5 14. Rxc8 Qxc8
15. b4 Nc4 16. Qc1 a5! 17. Nxc4 dxc4 18. bxa5 Qa6 19. Nb4 Qxa5 20. Nc6 Qxa3
21. Nxe7+ Qxe7 22. Qb2 Qd7 23. Bf3 Rc8 24. Rc1 Be4 25. Be2 Nd5 26. Bg3 Bd3
27. Bf3 c3 28. Qb3 Qc6 29. Bxd5 exd5 30. Qa3 Ra8 31. Qe7 c2 32. h3 h6 33. Bf4
Qc3 34. e4 Bxe4 35. Kh2 Qxd4 36. Qb7 Qxf2 0-1

Torre, Eugenio (2560) — So, Wesley (2627) [D13]

Phoenix Petroleum Battle of GMs Dapitan City Resort Hotel (3.5), 25.03.2009
( Analysis by Bobby Ang in his Chess Piece column )

1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 d5 3.c4 c6 4.Nc3 a6

The Chebanenko Slav, all the rage nowadays.

5.cxd5 cxd5 6.Bf4

Eugene avoids all the complicated lines and transposes to the Exchange Variation of the Slav.

6...Nc6 7.Rc1 Bf5 8.e3 Rc8

If Black is in an aggresive move he can try the idea of Grischuk: 8...e6 9.Qb3 Ra7 10.Be2 Be7 11.0-0 Nd7 12.Na4 g5!? with complicated play. Obviously Wesley, knowing that sitting across him is one of the toughest players in the Philippines to beat, is making a conscious effort not to force anything and keep up the solid play, at the same time looking for a chance to break through.

9.a3 e6 10.Be2 Be7 11.0-0 0-0

Still maintaining the symmetry. Now they start playing.

12.Nd2 Na5 13.Na2?!

Too passive. As you will see from the game continuation this move gives Wesley the opening to seize the initiative. Perhaps better was 13.Na4 b5 14.Nc5 Bxc5 15.dxc5 followed by b2-b4 and White is looking great.

13...b5 14.Rxc8 Qxc8 15.b4?

Definitely a mistake. Both players have weaknesses on a3 and a6, respectively, but Black’s pieces are better positioned to move in.

15...Nc4 16.Qc1

[16.Nb1 does not work because of ...Bxb1 followed by ...Nxa3]

16...a5 17.Nxc4 dxc4 18.bxa5?

Eugene is not his usual tough self. He should just leave his pawns as they stand. By bxa5 he allows Black to pick off the a3 pawn and organize two passed pawns on the queenside.

18...Qa6 19.Nb4 Qxa5 20.Nc6

It might be better to bring his dark-squared bishop to the queenside with 20.f3! Bxb4 21.axb4 Qxb4 22.e4 Bg6 23.Bd2 Qa4 24.Qb2 and it is not so easy for Black to advance his pawns.

20...Qxa3 21.Nxe7+ Qxe7 22.Qb2 Qd7 23.Bf3 Rc8 24.Rc1 Be4 25.Be2 Nd5 26.Bg3 Bd3!

This bishop cannot be taken.

27.Bf3

[27.Bxd3? cxd3 28.e4 Rxc1+ 29.Qxc1 Nb4 30.Qc3 Qc6! 31.Qe1 Na2! 32.Bf4 (he has to prevent ...Qc1) 32...Qc3 33.Qxc3 Nxc3 34.Kf1 b4 35.f3 b3 wins]

27...c3 28.Qb3 Qc6 29.Bxd5 exd5 30.Qa3 Ra8 31.Qe7 c2

Now the threat is ...Qc3 followed by ...Ra1, taking care not to be mated on his back rank.

32.h3 h6 33.Bf4 Qc3 34.e4 Bxe4 35.Kh2 Qxd4 36.Qb7 Qxf2 0-1