(Me against Henry Fajardo during the 2009 IM Micayabas Toril Chess Challenge )
I guess its time for me to write something about myself.
I was taught the basics of chess by my father when I was 8 years old. My first tournament was the Daliaon District Interschool Chess competition sponsored by Pepsi sometime in 1977. I was in grade III at that time and I can still remember having suffered an embarrassing 7 moves mate in the hands of future International Master Marlo Micayabas who lured me into an opening trap in the Philidor's Defense by sacrificing his queen. From thereon I played chess from time to time but not seriously.
I began to take chess seriously when I was already in College. I took-up Civil Engineering at the University of Mindanao. Our department was the perennial champion during our school intramurals thus I was tempted to join the engineering try-outs in my 2nd year but I did not qualify. I took it up as a challenge and set a goal to qualify during the next try-out. I then started studying chess books borrowed from friends and school mates. My first serious book was the World Championship match between GM Anatoly Karpov and GM Victor Korchnoi held in Baguio, Philippines authored by GM Bent Larsen. The following year I became a member of the Engineering chess team and we were able to defend our chess crown. The next year I became a member of the UM Varsity team.
I was a varsity player from 1987 to 1989 and played Board 2 for UM during the 1988 National UAAP Games hosted by Davao City where I played against the likes of IM Barlo Nadera (SWU), FM Vince Alaan (Adamson), and other National Masters representing their respective schools which were all regional UAAP qualifiers . Our all- rookie team composed mostly of engineering players got walloped by the strong opposition and managed only 6th place among 8 teams. It was my baptism of fire to a strong tournament but I failed miserably. I only scored 2 pts. in 7 rounds. My teammates then were Manny Sibayan, Louie Noel, Paul Garcia, Descallar who is now based in Australia ( I forgot his first name ), another player from Commerce, and me. A protest was lodged against our Board 1 player Agapito "Toto " Abastillas who was one of the leading players of Davao City at that time,for non- compliance of residency requirements thus he was not able to play. Among the Engineering players, I was the only one who did not became an Engineer. Was it blessing in disguise? he.he.
In 1990 I took up AB Political Science at UM. I was no longer a varsity player at that time and I decided to stop playing chess competitively and concentrate on my studies. However, I was persuaded to help the AB chess team to the intramurals. I played Board 1 for AB ( Liberal Arts ) and our team became back to back champion in 1990 and 1991 to the consternation of the Engineering team. Chess was the only event that the Liberal Arts won in the intrams thus I and my teammates became popular in our department. In 1992 I decided to put an end to my self- imposed chess hibernation and joined the try-outs for the new varsity team. I topped the eliminations and became a varsity player for the second time.
I played board 1 for the UM chess team during the 1992 National PRISSA Games held in Bacolod City. This time I was able to redeem myself and bagged the bronze medal in Board 1 scoring 4 wins in 7 games. My teammates then were Nonoy Jabilles, Nofre Reyes and the late Danilo Sanchez. Our alternate was Joselito "Toto" Alejano who is now a licensed engineer presently working in Australia. The highlight of our campaign was beating the National Capital Region (NCR)champion and perennial chess heavyweight University of the East (UE). I and Nofre Reyes delivered the crucial wins while the late Danilo Sanchez drew his game on board 4. During this period I was also busy providing chess tutorials to Kendi Gonzales who later on became a Woman National Master (WNM) and a two time national games champion.
After graduation I decided to take -up Law ( LLB ) at UM. I shun myself from any chess activity during that period and concentrated on my studies. I graduated in 1996 and passed the Bar exams the following year. I had since played in chess tournaments occasionally with mix results. In the early 2000's I was runner-up in the Toril Open next to National Master Miguel Te beating the likes of Bembem Quinonez,Henry Fajardo, Cerilo " Bata " Enobio and Jimmy Dano, all prominent players in the Davao chess scene. I was also elected as the President of the Metro Toril Chess Association (MTCA) and since then I had been organizing chess tournaments in our place. Recently, I was runner-up to Atty. Emilio Elnatan in the Eastern Mindanao IBP Palaro.
Here is my first featured miniature game against Henry Fajardo during the 2008 Cong. Ungab Cup.
[Event "Cong. Ungab Cup Toril Team Championships"]
[Site "Toril, Davao City, Philippines "]
[Date "2008.10.1"]
[Round "8th "]
[White "Atty. Jong Guevarra Jr. "]
[Black "Henry Fajardo "]
[Result "1-0"]
[WhiteELO "1855"]
[BlackELO "2035"]
EVANS GAMBIT
Annotated by CAISSA'S FATHER
1. e4 e5 2. Bc4!?
I made this move hoping to distract my opponent in his opening preparation. My opponent in this game is the perennial board 1 player of the Toril chess team and in fact he got the board 1 gold medal in this tournament. This game was his only loss. Hi is a solid player with the Petroff as his main defense against e4.
2... Nc6
If 2... Nf6 I intend to play 3. Nf3! Nxe4 4. Nc3!? transposing into the rarely played Boden - Kieseretsky Gambit.
The Boden- Kieseretsky Gambit
I played this line (by transposition) against Henry during the 2006 Toril eliminations for the Inter-Cities (20mins/game). The game started as a Petroff [ 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.Bc4!? Nxe4 4.Nc6 Nf6 ?!{ 4.. Nxc3 is the only way to test the gambit} 5.Nxe5 d5 6.Bb3 Be7 7.d4 c6 8.0-0 and I eventually won the game by time porfeit ]. I placed 2nd in the eliminations next to Bata Enobio while Henry Fajardo landed 3rd place. Trivia- The stem game of this line was played in Morphy-Poitier, Paris 1858 won by Morphy in 25 moves.
Now lets go back to the actual game.
3. Nf3 Bc5 4. b4!
The Evans Gambit. This opening gambit was hugely popular from about 1840 to 1990. It was revived by World Champion Garry Kasparov who played this gambit twice in the 1990's. I put an exclamation point in this move as it turned-out that Henry was not familiar with this line.
Bxb4 5. c3 Ba5 6. d4 Nxd4?
A blunder. Best is 6...exd4 7.0-0 Nge7!( This move may " kill " the Evan's Gambit according to then IM but now full pledged GM and World Senior Champion Larry Kaufman in his 2004 authoritative book " The Chess Advantage in Black and White " ), In the game Morozevich (2745) - Adams (2746) Wijk Aan Zee, 2001, White continued with 8.Ng5 d5 9.exd5 Ne5 10.Bb3 {10.Qxd4 f6 11.Re1! Bb6 12.Qh4! favors white} 10...0-0 11.cxd4 Ng4 12.Qf3?! Nf6! 13. Ba3 h6 14.Ne4 Nxe4 15.Qxe4 Re8 16.Bb2 Nf5 17. Qf4 Bb4 18. Na3 Bd6 19. Qd2 Qh4 20.g3 Qh3 21. Nc4 b5! 22.Nxe5?! Bb7 23. Rae1 a5! 24.a3 b4 25. axb4? 25. Bxb4 26. Bc3? Bxc3 27. Qxc3 Nh4! White resigned.
7. Nxe5 Ne6
8.Nxf7!
Henry failed to consider this move when he played 6... Nxd4. After white's 8th move Black's position suddenly collapsed.
8... Kxf7 9. Qh5+ g6 10. Qxa5 b6 11. Qd5 c6 12. Qe5 Qf6 13. Qg3! h6 14. Bf4!
Maintaining the pressure and threatening 15.Be5
Qe7 15. O-O Nf6 16. Bd6 Nh5
If 16... Nxe4 Qf3+ and black will lose a piece.
17. Qd3 Qh4 18. f4 Ke8 19. f5 Nhf4 20. Qg3!
Final Position
1-0
Replay the game below.