Typhoon Yolanda: Dear Chess Friends

Message from Ernie P. Baltazar
Dear Chess Friends,

The Philippine Blitz Chess Association gives the sincerest condolences to the families, relatives and friends of our brothers and sisters who have suffered from the recent Typhoon Yolanda . Many people`s lives have been ruined beyond any possible compensation. Many more have been made homeless, left to endure life without shelter or comfort.
We offer our prayers for the safety and health of the survivors.

A Mate in One

White to move  Mate in one move!

 

 

Winning is not always a victory if you cheat. Play fair and you will understand and feel

The Sreetfighter

Winning is not always a victory if you cheat
and didn't play fair.
Play fair and you will understand and feel
real ,meaning of winning.

Gary Kasparov at the Rizal Park Chess Plaza June 1992: 30th Manila Chess Olympiad

Gary Kasparov at the Rizal Park Chess Plaza June 1992

World champion Gary Kasparov was the guest of honor at the Rizal Park Blitz Tournament. Kasparov together with  Philippine's National arbiter Ernie Baltazar, the Chief Arbiter of the tournament, watched the final of the blitz tournament between Rodel Infante and Rodolfo Panopio Jr ; " White is winning ,then after the next move Black is winning , suddenly White is winning again, then Black is winning again ", the world champ told the Chief Arbiter on analyzing the final match. "Maybe its more of an Insurance or maybe its a Voyage " he was told. Insurance is when two players just split their prizes no matter who won the game while Voyage is the English term for "biyahe"for deliberately losing the game.

When asked who will be his likely rival in the world championship match between  Jan Timman of the Netherlands or Nigel Short of England, Kasparov said: "It will be Short and the match will be short"
The Rizal Park chess plaza (Asia's first chess plaza)was inaugurated on  October 18, 1979

Typhoon Yolanda

Message from Ernie P. Baltazar
Dear Chess Friends,

The Philippine Blitz Chess Association gives the sincerest condolences to the families, relatives and friends of our brothers and sisters who have suffered from the recent Typhoon Yolanda . Many people`s lives have been ruined beyond any possible compensation. Many more have been made homeless, left to endure life without shelter or comfort.
We offer our prayers for the safety and health of the survivors.

IT’S REALLY HORRIFIC — ROXASInterior and Local Government Secretary Mar Roxas yesterday said security troops are yet to make an official counting of the dead and the wounded in the aftermath of Yolanda’s destruction although he confirmed that the death toll is slowly beginning to rise.

“I don’t have the words for it. It’s really horrific. You just have to make your way to where you can find shelter,” Roxas described the situation in Tacloban City.

”We have not begun to count because there is no information,” the DILG chief said noting the lack of phone communications in the region as power poles and transmission towers were toppled by the strong winds and heavy rains spawned by the super typhoon.

However, Police Regional Office 8 director Chief Superintendent Elmer R. Soria said that “Yolanda” is believed to have killed 10,000 people in Leyte alone.

“We had a meeting last night with the governor and based on the government’s estimates, initially there are 10,000 casualties,” Soria said from Tacloban City.

Philippine Red Cross secretary-general Gwendolyn Pang on Saturday said around 1,000 people were killed in Tacloban and 200 in Samar.