The German plays chess

By Frank “Boy” Pestaño
Chessmoso

EINSTEIN’S puzzle again drew quite a number of responses from our readers, and the correct answer is the German plays chess. If you want to know what the puzzle is, check our column last week.

Those who answered correctly and thus belonging to the elite two percent are: 1) Jason Cabahug – a medical doctor specializing in Internal Medicine at North General Hospital, who loves basketball, tennis and chess. 2) Eloise Danoit – a fine arts student of the University of the Philippines, her dad was able to answer the puzzle also when it appeared in the Reader’s Digest sometime ago.

3) Joel Atillo – presently a jeepney driver and an avid fan of Bobby Fischer 4) Michael Lourds D. Clitar – a student of Trade Tech International Science Institute taking up Computer Technology. 5) Gemma Mendoza – a graduate of Computer Engineering in USC from Liloan.

6) Nick Torres – 55 and a born-again Christian 7) Samantha Niña Malinao of Liloan, a B.S. Accountancy student in her senior year at USC 8) Asencio Cadampog and Ma. Candice Y. Cadampog of White Hills Subdivision, Banawa 9) Ernesto S. Abines Jr., 31, born in Surigao, a certified public accountant and also a fourth-year law student presently connected with Philexport Cebu. 10) Rai Cuenca and his sister Rain – both fine arts students of USC.

Here is the answer to the puzzle as written by Yvonne Mae Ygbuhay.

1) We know that the Norwegian lives in the first house to the left, making the house next to it (or the second house) the blue house. Since the owner who drinks milk lives in the middle house (or the third house), we can be sure that the green house is the fourth house, with the white house to its right making it the last from the left. Knowing these, it is safe to say that the first house is yellow house and the red house the one in the middle.

2) We learn that the Norwegian smokes Dunhill, and his neighbor plays bridge. Knowing that the owners of red and green houses drink milk and coffee, respectively, it is then safe to say that the owner of the blue house smokes blend, making his neighbor, the Norwegian, the water-drinker.

3) Since the man who smokes Blue Master drinks beer, then he owns the white houses. This leaves the tea-drinking Dane the blue house. With the Brit occupying the red house, the German who smokes prince then lives in the green house. So, the Swede who plays scrabble owns the white house.

4) Knowing the brands of cigarettes the four other men smoke, we learn that the Brit is the one who smokes Pall Mall and therefore, plays dominoes. The Norwegian, who lives next-door to the blend smoker, is therefore the one who plays checkers. Who then plays chess? The German.

Yellow Blue Red Green White
Norwegian Dane Brit German Swede
Water Tea Milk Coffee Beer
Dunhill Blend Pall Mall Prince Blue Master
Checker Bridge Dominoes Chess Scrabble


CEPCA GRAND FINALS. One of the most awaited local chess events this year is the Cepca Grand Finals on Sunday at the Handuraw Learning and Leisure Café in Mabolo starting 1:30 p.m.

The finalists are Mandy Baria, Jonard Labadan, Dante Arguelles, Loy Minoza, Felix Salve, Joe Atillo, Jojo Muralla, Gerry Rallos, Fred Sandalo, Maggi Dionson, Santago Peque and Jobannie Tabada.

Tournament registration is P100 and Christmas party contribution is P200.

There will also be a side tournament among non-qualifiers together with some invited lady varsity players. Here is some good news-our fellow Cepcan from Norway, Anders Berg, is arriving just to play in our tournament together with another Cepca member, Roar Sorensen. Anders is following all the activities of our club in Norway thru the Internet.

Watch out for our match with the Oroquieta Executives Club and also with the Makati Executives Club. We are finalizing arrangements with Rey Urbiztondo of Oroquieta and Jenny Mayor of Manila.

COLETO ITAAS. The 2nd Coleto Itaas Memorial Chess tournament will start tomorrow at 1 p.m.

Format is active, seven-round Swiss system, and total prize money is P5,000.

Registration is P60. The tournament is sponsored by Woman National Master NM Susan Itaas in honor of her father.

CHESSMOSO TRIVIA. For those who are trivia fans, I now have my own trivia website. Questions are all about mixed sports, not just chess. Log on to www. dyaryoboy.com/chessmoso and play trivia everyday.