PHL bounces back, tops Iceland

GRANDMASTERS Oliver Barbosa and Mark Paragua struck with the white pieces to lift the Philippines past Iceland, 3-1, in the 40^th World Chess Olympiad Saturday night at the WOW Convention Center in Istanbul, Turkey.

Barbosa was quality-up when GM Henrik Danielsen resigned after 35 moves of Bogo-Indian while Paragua outmaneuvered International Master Dagur Arngrimmson in their rook and pawn endgame to complete the country’s fourth win in five rounds.

GMs Wesley So and Eugene Torre drew with GMs Hannes Stefansson and Throstur Thorhallsson on boards 1 and 3, respectively.

In the distaff side, Woman International Master Catherine Perena and Woman National Master Jedara Docena stunned their more accomplished foes using the black pieces to secure the country’s 3-1 romp over South Africa.

Perena downed Woman Grandmaster Melissa Greef of South Africa on board 1 while Docena toppled WIM Denise Frick on board 3.

WNM Janelle Mae Frayna settled for a draw against WIM Cecile Van Der Merwe on board 2 while WNM Jan Jodilyn Fronda halved the point with Woman FIDE Master Tshepang Tlale on board 4.

It was third consecutive match win by the women’s team and fourth in five rounds overall. Noli Cruz

PHL suffers first loss in World Chess Olympiad

GRANDMASTER Gabriel Sargissian stopped cold the winning run of International Master Oliver Dimakiling as third seed Armenia held off the Philippines, 2.5-1.5 in the fourth round of the 40^th World Chess Olympiad Friday night at the WOW Convention Center in Istanbul, Turkey.

It was the first loss of Dimakiling after winning his first three matches. Grandmasters Wesley So, Oliver Barbosa and Mark Paragua drew their respective matches against fancied opponents to minimize the damage.

So halved the point with GM Aronian Levon, the highest ranked player in the field with 2816 Elo rating; Barbosa survived the attack of GM Sergei Movsesian; and Paragua settled for a fighting draw against GM Vladimir Akopian.

Meanwhile, the women’s team toppled Mexico, 3-1, behind Woman International Master Catherine Perena and Woman National Masters Janelle Mae Frayna and Jan Jodilyn Fronda.

Perena downed Woman FIDE Master Diana Carime real Pereyra; Frayna rolled to her fourth win in as many matches at the expense of WIM Lorena Alejan Mendoza Velazquez; and Fronda subdued Janet Sarai Vazquez Flores.

WFM Rulp Ylem Jose failed to complete a shut-out after bowing to Ivette Ale Garcia Morales on board 2. Noli Cruz

PHL men's team rolls to 3rd straight win in World Chess Olympiad

THE Philippine men’s team kept their winning streak alive with a 4-0 sweep of Kazakhstan in the third round of the 40^th FIDE World Chess Olympiad late Thursday at the WOW Convention Center in Istanbul, Turkey.

Grandmaster Mark Paragua, playing with the black pieces on board 3, sacrificed a knight to ignite a swift and fatal attack that caught GM Petr Kostenko off-guard.

The match ended after 28 moves of Caro-Kann Defense.

GM Oliver Barbosa, manning board 2 with aplomb, proved his mastery of complicated game, taking the scalp of GM Anuar Ismagambetov after 61 moves of Queens Indian Defense.

International Master Oliver Dimakiling also made a brilliant sacrifice in the middle game to beat fellow IM Kiril Kuderinov after 38 moves of Reti Opening on board 4.

GM Wesley So, playing on Board 1, crushed GM Rinat Jumabayev after 63 moves of Gruenfeld Defense in their rook and pawn end game to complete the shut-out.

The men’s team earlier downed Libya, 4-0, and Moldova, 2.5-1.5.

In the distaff side, Woman International Master Catherine Perena celebrated her birthday with a win over Woman FIDE Master Bahar Hallaeva after 37 moves of Nimzo Indian Defense on board 1 as the Philippine women’s team dealt Turkmenistan a 3-1 beating.

Woman National Master Janelle Mae Frayna remained undefeated in three games after defeating Aknur Isaeva in 39 moves of King’s Indian Defense on board 2 while WNM Jan Jodilyn Fronda (2022) waylaid Ogulgerek Atabaeva after 50 moves of Sicilian Defense on board 4.

WNM Jedara Docena (2061) failed to convert her winning game and bowed to WFM Gozel Atabaeva after 56 moves of closed Sicilian Defense on Board 3. Noli Cruz

NCFP RELEASE: Mejia gets NM title

GRANDMASTER Eugene Torre’s strong finish in the 2012 National Open Chess Championships didn’t go unrewarded.

The 60-year-old brand new grandfather will make a record 21^st appearance in the World Chess Olympiad as GM Julio Catalino Sadorra begged off to continue his studies at the Texas Tech University where he is taking B.S. Applied Mathematics.

This year’s Olympiad is slated on August 27 to September 10 in Istanbul, Turkey.

“This is unexpected. I never envisioned myself representing the country in the biggest stage of chess competition as a senior citizen,” said Torre, who will break a tie with Hungarian GM Lajos Portisch for the most number of stints in the Olympiad.

Portisch has played in 20 consecutive Olympiads while Torre has represented the country in 19 straight Olympiads and 20 overall – the first in Siegen, Germany in 1970 and the latest in Khanty-Mansiysk, Russia in 2010.

He credited his longevity and durability to a healthy lifestyle that includes regular workout in a popular gym.

“It’s not just about talent anymore. My recent success is a testament of the importance of living a healthy life.”

His amazing fitness is in full display during the tournament dubbed as the “Battle of the Grandmasters.”

Instead of fading in a 15-match marathon, Torre won his last four matches to share third place with International Master Oliver Dimakiling although he missed the last outright seat to the Olympiad via tiebreak.

GM Mark Paragua won the tournament followed by Sadorra and Dimakiling.

Meanwhile, the National Chess Federation of the Philippines (NCFP) headed by chairman/president Prospero “Butch” Pichay exercised its option to pick the last player in the team on GM Oliver Barbosa.

The country’s top player, GM Wesley So, is seeded in the team and will man the top board followed by Barbosa, Torre, Paragua and Dimakiling.

Woman International Master Catherine Perena will anchor the women’s team followed by Woman FIDE Master Rulp Ylem Jose and Woman National Masters Janelle Mae Frayna, Jedara Docena and Jan Jodilyn Fronda.

NCFP Release: Torre set to make history in Istanbul Olympiad

GRANDMASTER Eugene Torre’s strong finish in the 2012 National Open Chess Championships didn’t go unrewarded.

The 60-year-old brand new grandfather will make a record 21^st appearance in the World Chess Olympiad as GM Julio Catalino Sadorra begged off to continue his studies at the Texas Tech University where he is taking B.S. Applied Mathematics.

This year’s Olympiad is slated on August 27 to September 10 in Istanbul, Turkey.

“This is unexpected. I never envisioned myself representing the country in the biggest stage of chess competition as a senior citizen,” said Torre, who will break a tie with Hungarian GM Lajos Portisch for the most number of stints in the Olympiad.

Portisch has played in 20 consecutive Olympiads while Torre has represented the country in 19 straight Olympiads and 20 overall – the first in Siegen, Germany in 1970 and the latest in Khanty-Mansiysk, Russia in 2010.

He credited his longevity and durability to a healthy lifestyle that includes regular workout in a popular gym.

“It’s not just about talent anymore. My recent success is a testament of the importance of living a healthy life.”

His amazing fitness is in full display during the tournament dubbed as the “Battle of the Grandmasters.”

Instead of fading in a 15-match marathon, Torre won his last four matches to share third place with International Master Oliver Dimakiling although he missed the last outright seat to the Olympiad via tiebreak.

GM Mark Paragua won the tournament followed by Sadorra and Dimakiling.

Meanwhile, the National Chess Federation of the Philippines (NCFP) headed by chairman/president Prospero “Butch” Pichay exercised its option to pick the last player in the team on GM Oliver Barbosa.

The country’s top player, GM Wesley So, is a shoe-in in the team and will man the top board followed by Barbosa, Paragua, Torre and Dimakiling.

Torre welcomes the idea of playing on Board 4.

“Four is a luck number for me. I was born on the 4^th of November and became a grandmaster in 1974,” Torre said.

He also man Board 4 when the country won the silver medal in the chess competition of the 2010 Guangzhou Asian Games.

NCFP Release: Paragua tops 'Battle of the GMs'

GRANDMASTER Mark Paragua, a former child wonder and first Filipino to breach the 2600-barrier in Elo rating, can finally call himself a national champion. “It’s a dream come true para sa akin. Matagal ko ‘tong hinintay,” said Paragua, after beating reigning national juniors champion FIDE Master Haridas Pascua in the 15thand final round of the 2012 National Open Chess Championships at the Cabagnot Training Center in Old Buswang, Kalibo Aklan. He finished with 23.0 points. Paragua, also a triple gold medal winner during the 2003 Vietnam Southeast Asian Games, virtually claimed the title on Tuesday when he defeated FM Roderick Nava and drew with GM John Paul Gomez while co-leader International Master Oliver Dimakiling dropped his matches against GMs Julio Catalino Sadorra and Rogelio “Joey” Antonio. Sadorra finished second with 20.5 points following his conquest of IM Emmanuel Senador while Dimakiling and GM Eugene Torre shared third place with 20.0 points. In the final round, Dimakiling topped GM Rogelio “Banjo” Barcenilla while Torre streaked to his fourth straight win by beating GM Richard Bitoon. Dimakiling earned the third and last outright seat to this year’s World Chess Olympiad with a superior tiebreak over Torre. Top Filipino player GM Wesley So is already assured of a slot while the National Chess Federation of the Philippines (NCFP) headed by chairman/president Prospero “Butch” Pichay, Jr. has the option to pick the fifth player of the men’s team. GM Darwin Laylo bowed to Gomez in the final round to kiss his bid of nailing a ticket to the Olympiad goodbye. He finished with 18.5 points. In the distaff side, Woman International Master Catherine Perena’s 23.0 points also proved to be the winning score. She was followed by Woman National Master Janelle Mae Frayna’s 21.0 points and Jedara Docena’s 17.5 points. The three earned outright seats to the women’s team that will compete in the Olympiad. Bernadette Galas barely missed a top three finish with 17.0 points while Woman FIDE Master Rulp Ylem Jose, WFM Cherry Ann Mejia and WNM Jan Jodilyn Fronda shared fifth place with 15.0 each. Supporting the tournament dubbed as “Battle of the Grandmasters” are the Boracay Chess Club, Aklan Gov. Carlito S. Marquez, Lone District of Aklan Rep. Florencio T. Miraflores, Club Paraw owned by Malay Councilor Hon. Wilbec M. Gelito and Willy's Beach Resort owned by Gen. Manager Rochanie G. Gadon, Kolai Mangyan owner Mr. Lowell Gucilo and Tawhay Condotel owner Arwen Barrios.

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!