Pestaño: Busy schedule for Cebu chess

By Frank 'Boy' Pestaño

Chessmoso

Monday, December 29, 2014

JIMMY TY JR. proved his big win last year was no fluke as he crushed NM Arnold Cadiz (2-0) in their showdown for the championship to retain the title as Cepca Grand Champion for 2014. He received a cash prize of P3,000 and a beautifully crafted trophy for his feat. Ty is a civil engineer now based in Tacloban City, his hometown.

Cadiz settled for the second place, while Rosendo Yamyamin defeated Rey Flores in their own battle for third place.

The score after five rounds among the 12 finalists were Jimmy Ty Jr. (4.0), Arnold Cadiz (4.0), Rosendo Yamyamin (3.5), Rey Flores (3.5), Ben Dimaano (3.0), Tony Cabibil (3.0), Carlo Maraat (2.5), Jun Kidlat (2.0), Maggi Dionson (2.0), Amado Olea (2.0), Peterson Sia (2.0) and Jerry Maratas (1.0).

In the double knockout semifinals, Ty won over Yamyamin and Cadiz defeated Rey Flores.

In the non-qualifiers side event, the winner was Jojo Muralla (4.5). He was followed by Jessa Balbona ,Mario Bustillo and Andrew Balbona, who all had 4.0 points.

Former Cebu City Mayor Alvin Garcia inducted nine new Cepca members of the club. Among our newest members are three brainy and lovely ladies -Therese dela Torre, Engr.

Harveyjane Aliman Hilvano and Jessa Balbona. The others are Dominic Inso Morre, Norman Martin B. Olayvar, Mario Bustillo, Edwin Cablao, Regelito Hortelano and Denster Abella.

The Deep Blue Christmas tournament was held last Dec. 18-19 in SM. The format for this event was seven rounds Swiss, with the top 16 playing a double knockout elimination.

The semifinalists were Richard Natividad, Ronald Ganzon, Joel Pacuribot and Arnold Cadiz. Natividad won the title and the P8,000 top prize, while Ronald Ganzon finished second. Pacuribot and Cadiz got the third and fourth spots, respectively.

The Mayor Junie Martinez Open tournament was held last Dec. 22-23 at the Bogo City Public Plaza. The winners were Carlos Moreno, Ronald Ganzon and Romel Ganzon. Moreno got P5,000 and Ganzon earned P3,000.

The Cebu Chess Masters also held the Christmas Blitz/Active Chess tournament at Robinson Cybergate last weekend.

Joel Pacuribut got P4,000 and a trophy after winning the active format, while Rogelio Enriquez and Vicmil Pepito got the second and third places, respectively. Vic Glyssen Derotas was the top secondary player, while Alphard Gonzales was the top elementary player.

In the Blitz category, the winners were Alfer Fernandez, former Sun.Star Cebu sports editor Jobanie Tabada and Arnonito Cadiz.

The 2nd Mayor Democrito M. Diamante and Vice Mayor Danny M. Diamante Chess Team Tournament (Cebu Inter-Cities and Municipalities) was held at Tuburan last weekend with 12 teams.

It was open to all cities (except Cebu City) and municipalities of Cebu. Each team was composed of four regular players and each player was required to bring his voter’s ID or certification from the Comelec Registrar of their respective town or city. Cepca played as guest, being one of the sponsors.

Toledo won the title and P25,000, while Minglanilla got second place and P15,000. The rest of the top six teams and their prizes are Tuburan A (P10,000), Mandaue (P7,000), Cepca B (P5,000) and Cepca C (P3,000). The other participants were Bogo, Argao, Cepca A, Tuburan B and C and Moalboal..

Toledo City was bannered by Rolzon Roullo, Glen Pardillo, Bonn Tibod and Cris Tubalado, while Cebuano legend IM Rico Mascarinas played for Tuburan A. The Cepca B players were Cocoy Lepiten, Jun Kidlat, Ruel and Regelito Hortelano, while the Cepca A players were Kimkim Yap, Jimmy Ty.

Percival Fiel and Jun Olis. Cepca C players were the Balbona family.

Mayor Diamante awarded the prizes and gave two lechons after the tournament. Thank you sir for the warm hospitality as was an enjoyable tournament!

(boypestano@gmail.com,www.chessmoso.blogspot.com)

Pestaño: The Peter Principle: Why players fail to improve

By Frank 'Boy' Pestaño

Chessmoso

Thursday, December 18, 2014

THE principle is named after Laurence J. Peter, who co-authored with Raymond Hull the 1969 book “The Peter Principle: Why Things Always Go Wrong.” The book was a favorite topic of discussion among my colleagues in the oil company that I worked back then.

It is a concept in management theory in which the promotion of a candidate for a position is based on the candidate’s performance in his or her current role rather than on abilities relevant to the intended role. Thus “in a hierarchy, employees and managers tend to rise to the level of their incompetence.” The employee has no chance of further promotion, thus reaching his or her career’s ceiling in an organization.

It is the same in chess. There are countless chess players who are trapped as National Masters all their lives and cannot attain the next level, which is Fide Master. In the same vein, FMs, IMs and even GMs are victims of the Peter Principle.

I am an example of the principle. In the 60s and the 70s, I had a high rating of 2080 and could not improve any further. Due to age, lack of interest and motivation, I am probably playing now at the 1800s level.

Even after studying chess books or courses, many chess players have gone years without making any significant improvement.

Playing chess, practice is very important for improvement. However, you can repeat the same mistakes over and over again. You will tend to follow your own old patterns and not have time to develop a different and correct process. In my case, I play more than 20 games everyday online, but my preference is bullet chess of 1 to 5 minutes time control as I get bored and just play for enjoyment and fun. You can`t improve if you play like this.

There is no shortcut. To improve is to have complete knowledge of chess strategy. Then, you will know what to do in any situation. It makes no sense playing new moves when there are full blueprints available.

An incomplete study of theory leaves you with weaknesses and a chain is only as strong as its weakest link. Too much theory without enough exercises or too many exercises without essential theory is also counterproductive.

Too much of anything may also hold back your creativity and diminish your joy for the game. Save yourself time and study and train only with the best materials.

Cool facts. Here are some interesting chess facts which I did not include in my last week’s article due to space limitation.

The average rating of Iceland’s and Brazil’s top 10 players is equal -- 2513 for both countries. Iceland has 324,000 people, while Brazil has 203,000,000 -- more than 600 times that of Iceland.

In the chess world, Iceland is best known for hosting the 1972 world chess championship match between Bobby Fischer and Boris Spassky. Brazil has been a star on the international sports stage lately, hosting the just-completed 2014 Fifa World Cup, along with the upcoming 2016 summer Olympics.

Webster University’s chess team is stronger than most national federations. The average Fide rating of Webster’s top four boards (Wesley So, Le Quang Liem, Georg Meier and Ray Robson) is currently 2679.

As of the last Olympiad, that would make them the 10th strongest federation in the world, just ahead of teams like England. The population of England is 53 million. The total enrollment at Webster University is 22,000.

PARTY. This is a reminder to all Cepca members that our Christmas party, induction of new members, grand finals and non-qualifiers tournament will be this Sunday at Lola Saling Grill and restaurant in Casuntingan, Mandaue.

(boypestano@gmail.com, www.chessmoso.blogspot.com)

Pestaño: What is chess?

By Frank 'Boy' Pestaño

Chessmoso

Thursday, December 4, 2014

CHESS is the world’s most popular game, played by millions worldwide in homes, parks, clubs, online, by correspondence, and in tournaments. There are more players and games played than all the other sports combined.

It is not just a game but a lot of things. Here are its different definitions.

Chess is everything—art, science, and sport.—Anatoly Karpov.

Chess is a sea in which a gnat may drink and an elephant may bathe.—Indian proverb.

Chess is a fairy tale of 1,001 blunders. —Savielly Tartakower.

Chess is a beautiful mistress—Larsen.

Chess is war over the board. The object is to crush the opponents mind.—Bobby Fischer.

Chess is mental torture.—Kasparov.

Chess is not a game but a disease.—Henry Bannerman.

Chess is one of the sins of pride.—John Bromyard.

Chess is like body-building. If you train every day, you stay in top shape. It is the same with your brain. Chess is a matter of daily training. —Kramnik.

A chess game is divided into three stages: the first, when you hope you have the advantage, the second when you believe you have an advantage, and the third... when you know you’re going to lose!—Tartakower.

The passion for playing chess is one of the most unaccountable in the world. It slaps the theory of natural selection in the face. It is the most absorbing of occupations.

The least satisfying of desires. A nameless excrescence upon life. It annihilates a man. You have, let us say, a promising politician, a rising artist that you wish to destroy. Dagger or bomb are archaic and unreliable—but teach him, inoculate him with chess. It is a curse upon man.—H.G. Wells.

I have always had a slight feeling of pity for a man who has no knowledge of chess.

Many have become chess masters—no one has become the master of chess.—Siegbert Tarrasch .

Chess, like love, like music, has the power to make man happy.—Savielly Tartakower.

Chess holds its master in its own bonds, shackling the mind and brain so that the inner freedom of the very strongest must suffer.—Albert Einstein.

Chess is a miniature version of life. To be successful, you need to be disciplined, assess resources, consider responsible choices and adjust when circumstances change.—Susan Polgar.

Chess is beautiful enough to waste your life for.—Hans Ree.

Chess is the game which reflects most honor on human wit.—Voltaire.

Life is a kind of chess, with struggle, competition, good and ill events. The game of chess is not merely an idle amusement; several very valuable qualities of the mind are to be acquired and strengthened by it, so as to become habits ready on all occasions.—Benjamin Franklin.

Chess is the gymnasium of the mind.—Blaise Pascal.

Chess is at the same time a game, a sport, a science and an art. And perhaps even more than that, This is something hard to explain to those who do not know the game well.

One must first learn to play it correctly in order to savor its richness.—Bent Larsen.

Chess is a bond of brotherhood amongst all lovers of the game. It is a leveler of rank, title, wealth, nationality, politics, religion —all are forgotten across the board.—Frederick Milne Edge.

Chess is a foolish expedient for making idle people believe they are doing something very clever when they are only wasting their time.—George Bernard Shaw.

Chess is a great game. No matter how good one is, there is always somebody better. No matter how bad one is, there is always somebody worse.— I.A. Horowitz.

(boypestano@gmail.com,www.chessmoso,blogspot.com)