Pakna-an Chess

It's been while since I've wrote my last post for this blog, and perhaps some of you might be wondering "where the hell is the blogger?" Well, me finding a job on weekdays plus playing in some local club tournaments during the weekends could perhaps adequately explain my "sudden" absence. Speaking of tournaments, I was able to join, in some of what may seem, a series of chess tournaments in barangay Pakna-an. This series of chess events were spearheaded by of its barangay councilors, whom I believe is a close relative of the +2400 player, Eden Diano. The very first episode of the tournament series was a Class B/ Juniors /Women's tournament. Confused? In short, any woodpusher, except adult class A male players were allowed to compete. The champion by the way, in that tournament, was Lapu Lapu Chess Club's Allan Pason with a score of 6.5 in 7 rounds. The 15-year old kid was on fire as he clinched round after round until agreeing to a draw in the seventh. Perhaps Allan's most important game in the tourney was in round 6, as he came face-to-face with the very young endgame virtuoso, King James Torres, with mutual 6/6 points.Allan told me personally that in his game against King James, he felt outplayed in the opening as he recklessly ventured in a Botvinnik system, a structure he did not fully understand. However, he was able to create some compensation in the form of a kingside attack. King James, unfortunately, blundered in a one move mate. Quite honestly, I thought that both players were OK in the position. Somewhere in the middlegame perhaps, King James simply "blinked", when the the critical moment came, although we all are prone to this mistake.

And just one week right after the Class B slash, Juniors slash, Women's tournament, then came the Pakna-an Open, wherein all the Class A hustlers, players and inter-island competitors clashed in one big event.There was Master Rommel Ganzon, NM Arnolito Cadiz, NM Leo Alidani, FM Anthony Makinano, CM Mike Banibane, and a whole lot more! To an amateur's point of view (just like of mine), a whole lot of experience could be gained just by playing against these dreadfully feared monsters! The complete list of winners by the way, can be seen here. The tournament was arbitrated by Marvin Ruelan and Eden Diano.