Baseball is Everybody’s Favorite

Baseball is a bat and ball sport played between two teams; each team consists of nine players.  This has been one of my favourite sport eventhough I’m not that sporty person. I learned to play baseball when I was in elementary school during our Physical Education class. Since then, it has become my hobby and I used to play it during weekends. Playing baseball needs not only physical strength but mental alertness as well. It’s also a very good exercise for the mind and body. In America, between 40-45 percent of American teens play youth baseball, almost half of youth population.  In the Philippines it is becoming more and more popular coincide with football.

When it comes to the right outfit and equipment, baseball players should have the most usable and durable baseball equipment. For me, I recommend cheap baseball equipment but made up of high quality materials. Baseballequipment such as batters helmet, gear bag, baseball bat, baseball glove and baseball cleats can be bought for very affordable price. I am planning to buy a complete set of baseball equipment this coming December and I have to accumulate certain amount of money haha!

Barbosa tops India chess tilt

GRANDMASTER Oliver Barbosa defeated International Master Shyam Nikil in the 11^th and final round to complete a wire-to-wire victory in the 10^th Parsvnath International Grandmasters Chess Tournament at Ludlow Castle Sports Complex, Civil Lines in New Delhi, India on Monday (January 23).

Barbosa’s victory over his Indian foe earned him 9.5 points, the winner’s purse of two lakh rupees, the championship trophy and a live rating of 2610, giving the Philippines a pair of super GMs for the first time.

“Our chess players once again proved that the Filipinos are capable of competing against the best and the brightest on the world stage,” said National Chess Federation of the Philippines (NCFP) chairman/president Prospero "Butch" Pichay, Jr.

Overnight co-leader GM John Paul Gomez settled for a draw opposite Ma Qun of China to finish in a tie for second place with 9.0 points along with IM Lalith Babu M R of India. Gomez placed second overall after the tiebreak.

GM Mark Paragua downed GM Evgeny Gleizerov of Russia to finish in a tie for fourth place with 8.5 points along with Ma. Paragua also had a superior tiebreak points.

"Nations like Russia, China and India, are touted as superpowers in chess. Kaya hindi biro ang 1-2-4 finish nina Oliver, John Paul at Mark," Pichay noted.

The Filipinos’ campaign in India is part of the Philippine Team preparation for this year's 38^th World Chess Olympiad in Istanbul, Turkey. They are supported by the NCFP, Philippine Sports Commission and Philippine Olympic Committee.

My Goal Last Christmas

I’m glad because I was able to achieve my goal last Christmas. My goal was to buy clothes, eyeglasses,  and a pair of shoes. Well, we know that clothes, and shoes especially men’s apparel and accessories are expensive. However, because of the amount that I received from my 13^th month pay which is equivalent to one month salary, I managed to buy things for myself. In the Philippines, every employee is entitled to receive 13^th month pay and each company is mandated to give it. That is on top of Christmas bonus that other companies give. I was just lucky because aside from 13^th month pay, I earned small amount from my freelance writing haha!

Talking about the things that I bought last Christmas, in fairness they are all great. First I bought a short sleeve polo and a stripe t-shirt. I liked it because I saw a mannequin wearing that pair and it looked awesome. Then I bought sunglasses because my other sunglasses are quite old besides, I’m not comfortable wearing it anymore. After Christmas, I bought a pair of black shoes for my everyday office work. On top of that, I bought two polos with long sleeves and a hat. When it comes to brand, I do not trust brands that are not popular and don’t have good quality. 

Metal Mulisha is my trusted`brand. I like its hat, shorts, t-shirt, socks and sunglasses; I like its durability and strength. U use my metalmulisha hat for almost five years and it is still good. When you are a sporty person, you really have to choose wears that can last for a long time. My cousin is a basketball player and he uses products from metal mulisha. He said that it was great and he will recommend it to his friends.   

  

4 Pinoy youth chessers win title in Singapore chessfest

SINGAPORE – The country’s youth brigade ended the year with a bang in the Singapore International Chess Festival at the Jurong East Sports Complex.

 

They won four of the eight age groups slated in the weeklong event to highlight the country’s participation here.

 

Vince Angelo Medina halved the point with Jodi Setyaki Azarya of Indonesia to finish with 7.0 points and capture the Open Under-17 title; Michelle Yaon split the point with Sushmitha G of India to finish with 6.5 points in eight games and complete a wire-to-wire win in the Girls U-17; FIDE Master Paulo Bersamina capped the country’s domination in the Open U-14 with a victory against Ooi Zhi Yang of Singapore to finish with 8.0 points and run away the title with a full point margin over compatriot Jerad Docena; and Dennis Gutierrez III scored a crucial victory over Jiddan Firman of Indonesia to top the Open U-8 division with 8.0 points. A draw would have relegated him to second place behind seventh round tormentor Daniel Choo of Singapore.

 

“Magandang senyales ito para sa mga young chess players natin. They showed na kaya nilang makipagsabayan and manalo in international competitions,” said National Chess Federation of the Philippines chairman/president Prospero “Butch” Pichay, Jr.

 

The NCFP in collaboration with the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) and the Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) made the trip possible for the Philippine delegation.

 

Meanwhile, Grandmaster Richard Bitoon finished tied for second in the 2^nd ASEAN Men Campomanes Cup along with GM Susanto Megaranto of Indonesia and Internatioal Master Nguyen Van Huy of Vietnam. They finished with 6.0 points, just behind champion Vietnamese GM Cao Sang’s 6.5 points.

There were disappointments elsewhere.

 

Woman FIDE Master Marie Antoinette San Diego failed to live up to her top billing in the Girls U-14 and finished with only 5.0 points in the nine-round event, two points behind winner WFM Najiha Hisham Nur of Singapore and even half point lower that compatriot Shania Mae Mendoza.

 

Veterans Alex Milagrosa and Arlan Cabe also put up disappointing efforts in the final round of the 8^th Singapore Open.

 

They needed only to hold their respective opponents into a draw to hand reigning national champion Mari Joseph Turqueza the title. But they crumbled under pressure with Milagrosa losing to GM Eldar Gasanov of Ukraine and Cabe bowing to FM Andrean Susilodinata of Indonesia.

 

Turqueza, who beat Singapore-based Filipino Robert Suleo, Jr., ended up third after the tiebreak. Susilodinata won the title followed by Gasanov.

Bitoon needs miracle; Turqueza nears title

SINGAPORE – The final round of competition in the Singapore International Chess Festival promises to test the limits of nationalism and sportsmanship.

Grandmaster Richard Bitoon drew his matches on Friday against International Masters Nguyen Duc Hoa of Vietnam in the seventh and Lim Yee-Weng of Malaysia in the eighth to fall in a tie for second place in the 2^nd ASEAN Men Campomanes Cup at the Jurong East Sports Complex.

Bitoon has 5.5 points after eight games, the same output of ninth round opponent GM Susanto Megaranto of Indonesia and fifth round tormentor IM Nguyen Van Huy of Vietnam. They trail solo leader GM Cao Sang of Vietnam by half point.

Too bad for the chase group, Cao would face compatriot Nguyen (Duc Hoa) in the final round, virtually brushing off a possible collapse by the leader.

Known allies or players from the same nation are usually paired in the early rounds of a round-robin tournament like this one to avoid fixed results. Not this time, obviously.

“Richard is doing well in a very tight field. Alam naman natin na malalakas ang Vietnamese players and kasama pa si Megaranto, who won the gold sa long game during the last SEA Games,” said National Chess Federation of the Philippines (NCFP) president Prospero “Butch” Pichay, Jr. “Whatever happens sa final round, I’d like to commend him for his very good performance.”

The NCFP in collaboration with the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) and the Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) made the trip possible for the Philippine delegation here.

Meanwhile, the Filipinos could help each other out in some fronts.

Reigning national junior champion Mari Joseph Turqueza held GM Eldar Gasanov of Ukraine into a fighting draw to share the lead heading into the final round of the Singapore Open. Turqueza earlier scalped FIDE Master Andrean Susilodinata of Indonesia for his fourth straight win.

Gasanov and Susilodinata also have 6.0 points.

Turqueza would meet Robert Suelo, Jr. (5.5 points) in the last round while his fellow frontrunners would have to contend against battle-tested Filipinos – Gasanov against Alex Milagrosa (5.5 points) and Susilodinata against Arlan Cabe (5.5 points).

The country’s youth brigade slightly crumbled down the stretch, but maintained at least a share of the lead in four out of eight divisions in the 2^nd Singapore International Youth Championships.

Vince Angelo Medina dispatched Tan Han Liang of Singapore after getting stalled by three straight draws to regain solo leadership in the Open Under-17; Michelle Yaon bowed to Woman FIDE Master Danielle Ho of Singapore, but remained a half point clear of compatriot Nikki Erica Yngayo in the Girls U-17; Paulo Bersamina bounced back from a seventh round debacle to beat Mohd Faizal Roslan in the eighth round and maintain a full point edge over compatriot Jerad Docena and Aloysius Chia of Singapore; and Dennis Gutierrez III also responded with a win over FM Pham Phu Vinh of Vietnam after losing to Daniel Choo of Singapore to regain a share of the lead with another Singaporean and sixth round victim Alfred Chua in the Open U-8.

Bitoon regains share of lead in Singapore chessfest

SINGAPORE – Grandmaster Richard Bitoon remained upbeat after his defeat in the fifth round. He showed why on Thursday (December 29).

Bitoon manhandled International Master Hafizulhelmi of Malaysia in the sixth round to regain a share of the lead in the 2^nd ASEAN Men Campomanes Cup, the centerpiece event of the Singapore Chess Festival at the Jurong East Sports Complex.

The victory was a quick and resounding response to his loss at the hands of IM Nguyen Van Huy of Vietnam, pushed his total to 4.5 points, and put him back on top along with fellow GMs Susanto Megaranto of Indonesia and Cao Sang of Vietnam.

“Marami pang puwedeng mangyari. As long as hawak ko ‘yung kapalaran ko walang dahilan para mag-panic,” said Bitoon, who kept his usual jovial self following his loss on Wednesday night.

Megaranto relinquished the outright lead after settling for a draw opposite Nguyen Duc Hoa of Vietnam. Cao also gained a share of the lead following his win over FIDE Master Daniel Chan of Singapore.

Meanwhile, the reigning national junior champion replaced the former national junior titlist as the country’s brightest hope in the Singapore Open.

This year’s junior champ Mari Joseph Turqueza scored his third straight win by beating Rahman Masruri of Indonesia and improved to 4.5 points to move within half point of the co-leaders FM Andrean Susilodinata of Indonesia and Christer Jon Aplin of Singapore. Overnight co-leader and 1996 national junior champ Roberto Suelo, Jr. bowed to Aplin to fall a full point behind the leaders.

Veteran campaigner Alex Milagrosa put more pressure on the leaders after downing Malaysia’s national champion Lim Zhuo Ren in the sixth round.

Also in contention were GM Eldar Gasanov of Ukraine with 4.5 points and FM Hamed Nouri and Suelo with 4.0 points. 

The country’s young players also remained in hot pursuit of the title. They continued to at least share a piece of the lead in four of the eight divisions entering the backstretch of the 2^nd Singapore International Youth Championships.

Vince Angelo Medina drew with Azman Hisham Mohd Nabil of Singapore to keep solo leadership with 5.0 points in the Open Under-17; Michelle Yaon notched her fifth win in five games at the expense of Olivia Madhavan of Malaysia to solidify her hold of the lead in the Girls U-17; Paulo Bersamina remained perfect in six games and maintained a full point advantage over the rest f the field in the Open U-14 after beating Azhar Muhd Irfan Haqqim of Singapore; and Dennis Gutierrez III grabbed the solo lead with a win over Alfred Chua of Singapore in the Open U-8.

Suelo shares lead in Singapore Open

SINGAPORE – Roberto Suelo, Jr. felt right at home in the Singapore International Chess Festival for a good reason.

With his wife and two-year-old son watching from the sideline, Suelo made short work of local bet Winshand Cuhendi Sean in the fifth round Wednesday night and joined a crowded leader board in the 8^th Singapore Open at the Jurong East Sports Complex.

Suelo, a professional chess coach in Singapore the past two years, forced Sean to resign after just 18 moves of Queen’s Pawn Opening to notch his second straight win and fourth in five games. His latest string of victories came in the heels of his third round defeat against Grandmaster Eldar Gasanov of Ukraine.

“Ayos lang kahit napupuyat ako kay baby. Mas inspired siyempre ako maglaro dahil andito ang family ko,” said Suelo, a former national junior champion.

Gasanov settled for back-to-back draws against FM Andrean Susilodinata of Indonesia and Benjamin Foo of Singapore to relinquish the outright lead. Also with 4.0 points were Susilodinata, Foo and Christer Jon Aplin of Singapore, who beat Filipino Arlan Cabe in the fifth.

The proud Caviteno was the least surprise of his sudden surge.

“Even after losing to Gasanov kumpiyansa pa rin ako na makakahabol ako to contend for the title,” said Suelo, noting that he’s eyeing his third title in Singapore this year following his triumphs in the Hari Raya FIDE-rated chess tournament and Toa Payoh Open.

His victory somehow eased the pain of the sorry loss suffered by GM Richard Bitoon in the 2^nd ASEAN Men Campomanes Cup.

Bitoon had a chance to grab the outright lead in the centerpiece event of the annual chess festival, but ran into time trouble against International Master Nguyen Van Huy. He lost the game and his share of the lead as GM Susanto Megaranto of Indonesia split the point against IM Hafizulhelmi Mas of Malaysia.

Megaranto’s 4/5 effort topped Bitoon’s 3.5/5 midway in the round-robin tournament. They are set to meet in the ninth and final round.

The country’s young chess stars continued to hold sway in the 2^nd Singapore International Youth Championships.

Vince Angelo Medina remained on top of the Open Under-17 with 4.5 points after a draw against Jung Young Hoon of South Korea; Michelle Yaon extended her winning run to four after taking a bye in the fourth round to seize control in the Girls U-17. She also got an assist from compatriot Nikki Erica Yngayo, who dealt the first loss of pre-tournament favorite Woman FIDE Master Danielle Ho of Singapore; Paulo Bersamina moved a full point ahead of the field in the Open U-14 after notching his fifth straight win, this time at the expense of Tupfah Khumnokeaw of Thailand; WFM Marie Antoinette San Diego was slowed down by consecutive draws, but remained on top along with two others in the Girls U-14; and Dennis Gutierrez III kept a perfect record and his share of the lead in the Open U-8.

The Open U-11, Girls U-11 and Girls U-8 were the only divisions without a Filipino on top.

Suelo shares lead in Singapore Open

SINGAPORE – Roberto Suelo, Jr. felt right at home in the Singapore International Chess Festival for a good reason.

With his wife and two-year-old son watching from the sideline, Suelo made short work of local bet Winshand Cuhendi Sean in the fifth round Wednesday night (December 28) and joined a crowded leader board in the 8^th Singapore Open at the Jurong East Sports Complex.

Suelo, a professional chess coach in Singapore the past two years, forced Sean to resign after just 18 moves of Queen’s Pawn Opening to notch his second straight win and fourth in five games. His latest string of victories came in the heels of his third round defeat against Grandmaster Eldar Gasanov of Ukraine.

“Ayos lang kahit napupuyat ako kay baby. Mas inspired siyempre ako maglaro dahil andito ang family ko,” said Suelo, a former national junior champion.

Gasanov settled for back-to-back draws against FM Andrean Susilodinata of Indonesia and Benjamin Foo of Singapore to relinquish the outright lead. Also with 4.0 points were Susilodinata, Foo and Christer Jon Aplin of Singapore, who beat Filipino Arlan Cabe in the fifth.

The proud Caviteno was the least surprise of his sudden surge.

“Even after losing to Gasanov kumpiyansa pa rin ako na makakahabol ako to contend for the title,” said Suelo, noting that he’s eyeing his third title in Singapore this year following his triumphs in the Hari Raya FIDE-rated chess tournament and Toa Payoh Open.

His victory somehow eased the pain of the sorry loss suffered by GM Richard Bitoon in the 2^nd ASEAN Men Campomanes Cup.

Bitoon had a chance to grab the outright lead in the centerpiece event of the annual chess festival, but ran into time trouble against International Master Nguyen Van Huy. He lost the game and his share of the lead as GM Susanto Megaranto of Indonesia split the point against IM Hafizulhelmi Mas.

Megaranto’s 4/5 effort topped Bitoon’s 3.5/5 midway in the round-robin tournament. They are set to meet in the ninth and final round.

The country’s young chess stars continued to hold sway in the 2^nd Singapore International Youth Championships.

Vince Angelo Medina remained on top of the Open Under-17 with 4.5 points after a draw against Jung Young Hoon of South Korea; Michelle Yaon extended her winning run to four after taking a bye in the fourth round to seize control in the Girls U-17. She also got an assist from compatriot Nikki Erica Yngayo, who dealt the first loss of pre-tournament favorite Woman FIDE Master Danielle Ho; Paulo Bersamina moved a full point ahead of the field in the Open U-14 after notching his fifth straight win, this time at the expense of Tupfah Khumnokeaw of Thailand; WFM Marie Antoinette San Diego was slowed down by consecutive draws, but remained on top along with two others in the Girls U-14; and Dennis Gutierrez III kept a perfect record and his share of the lead in the Open U-8.

The Open U-11, Girls U-11 and Girls U-8 were the only divisions without a Filipino on top.

NCFP release: 7 Pinoys on top in Singapore chessfest

SINGAPORE – The Filipinos enjoyed another good day in the Singapore International Chess Festival at the Jurong East Sports Complex here.

Seven of them either took sole possession or gained a share of the lead in their respective divisions after the third round late Tuesday.

Grandmaster Richard Bitoon halved the point with GM Sang Cao of Vietnam to remain on top of the 2^nd ASEAN Men Campomanes Cup, the centerpiece event of the annual chess festival. GM Susanto Megaranto of Indonesia joined him on top with 2.5 points after downing FIDE Master Daniel Chan of Singapore.

The rising stars of Philippine chess also flexed their muscles in the 2^nd Singapore International Youth Championships.

Vince Angelo Medina anchored the onslaught by beating compatriot Marc Christian Nazario for his third straight win. He shared the lead with Shannon Scott Neubronner of Singapore in the Open Under-17.

Michelle Yaon was alone on top, at least for the moment, in the Girls U-17 after defeating Gole Shweta of India and moving a full point clear of idle Woman FIDE Master Danielle Ho of Singapore. They’re playing a round-robin format with only nine participants in their division.

FIDE Master Paulo Bersamina and Jerad Docena locked up the top spot in the Open U-14. Bersamina and Docena toppled erstwhile co-leaders Aloysius Chia and Vairavan Arjun of Singapore respectively to remain perfect after three rounds.

WFM Marie Antoinette San Diego traded a pawn for a positional advantage in the middle game to beat Anastasia Patricks of Indonesia and grab the solo lead in Girls U-14 with perfect 3.0 points.

Daniel John Lemi also remained perfect after his conquest of Aryaman Singhania of India to get a spot in the crowded leader board of Open U-11. The event’s most populated division with 98 participants had nine players toting similar 3.0 points.

Their performance bodes well for the lofty goal of National Chess Federation of the Philippines (NCFP) chairman/president Prospero “Butch” Pichay.

“Ipinapakita ng mga bata na hindi sayang ang suporta natin sa kanila pati na rin ng Philippine Sports Commission at Philippine Olympic Committee,” said Pichay, who wants to produce the country’s 20^th GM within the next two years.

There were some meltdowns elsewhere.

Me Ann Joy Baclayon and Darlyn Villanueva lost against separate Singaporean rivals to relinquish their share of the lead in the Girls U-8. Baclayon yielded to Vanessa Tan while Villanueva bowed to Magdalene Clarissa Chong.

The Filipinos also dropped a step in the 8^th Singapore Open, which officially became wide open following the withdrawal of top seed GM Mikheil Mchedlishvili of Georgia, whose 2636 ELO rating is at least 178 points ahead of the rest.

FM Nouri Hamed and Alex Milagrosa settled for a draw against Benjamin Foo and Rahman Masruri of Indonesia respectively to fall a half point behind co-leaders GM Eldar Gasanov of Ukraine and FM Andrean Susilodinata of Indonesia.

Arlan Cabe joined his compatriots in a share of third spot with 2.5 points after stopping the surprising run of unrated Filipino Jelvis Calvelo, who earlier stunned CH Savetha of India with a rare checkmate.