GM Mark Paragua tops 2015 Georgia State Championship

By Marlon Bernardino and Jolina Icao

 

GM Mark Paragua won solo first in the recently concluded five round 2015 Georgia State Championship in Atlanta. GA.   Visiting from New York, Paragua faced strong players from Georgia led by GM Alonzo Zapata, who wound up at third place with a loss to Paragua in the third round.  Paragua beat GM Alonzo in 27 moves of a Trompovsky. The Filipino grandmaster scored a total of  4.5 points.

 

Paragua also played with Ruifeng Li from Texas, rated 2530.  "My best game in the tournament was my fourth round game with Ruifen," said Paragua.  Playing black with a Sicilian Najdorf, Paragua made a speculative sacrifice and offered a rook to displace the queen, then sac a knight to open the king on the queen side followed by pawn sacrifice to open the diagonal for his queen.  Paragua won the game in 30 moves when Li resigned as he was about to lose his queen.

 

Li tied for second with 4.0 points with Daniel Gurevich, who being the top Georgia resident, was declared the Georgia State Champion.

 

"GM is playing like the good old days," said Herky del Mundo who invited Mark to play in the tournament, "Paragua crushed GM Zapata's play in 27 moves with a Trompovsky."  With the championship, Paragua's USCF rating rose to 2649.  Del Mundo noted that Paragua's quality of play nowadays rivals his younger times when his FIDE rating was 2616.  During the annual Georgia Chess Association meeting held in the same venue as the tournament, Del Mundo was elected as Secretary of the Georgia chess federation.-Marlon Bernardino and Jolina Icao-

 

[Event "Phillip Taylor 2015 Georgia State Championship"]

[Site "Board 1"]

[Date "4/25/2015"]

[Round "3"]

[White "MARK C PARAGUA (2646)"]

[Black "ALONSO ZAPATA (2532)"]

[Result "1-0 (white won)"]

 

 

 1. d4 Nf6 2. Bg5 c5 3. d5 Ne4 4. Bf4 Qb6 5. Nd2 Nxd2 6. Bxd2 d6 7. e4a6 8. Bc3 Nd7 9. Nf3 Nf6 10. Nd2 Qc7 11. a4 e6 12. Bxf6 gxf6 13. Nc4b6 14. Qf3 Be7 15. dxe6 Bxe6 16. Ne3 c4 17. e5 Rc8 18. exf6 Bd8 19.Rd1 Qc5 20. c3 Qe5 21. Rd4 d5 22. Be2 Rc5 23. O-O h5 24. Rfd1 Bg425. Rxd5 Rxd5 26. Rxd5 Qe6 27. Qf4

PINOY NELSON VILLANUEVA IS BACK, TOPS MALAYSIA CHESS

by Marlon Bernardino

Final Standings:

8.5 points---NM Nelson Villanueva (Philippines)

8.0 points---Zulkifli Muhd Syazwan (Malaysia)

7.5 points---NM Carlo Lorena (Philippines), Michael Angelo Palma (Philippines) 

7.0 points---Nik Nik Ahmad Farouqi (Malaysia), Erowan Masrin (Malaysia), NM Stewart Manaog (Philippines), IM Mas Hafizulhelmi (Malaysia), WFM Camilia Johari (Malaysia), Wan Yusoff Wan Mohd Adli (Malaysia)

FIDE MASTER (FM) Nelson Villanueva once again is at the top of his game after winning the Zadano Kelantan Open Chess Championship 2015 last February 20 to 21 in Kota Bharu, Malaysia.

The native Bacolod City Villanueva who is best to remember spearheading the multi-titled Rizal Technological University (RTU) Mandaluyong chess team in a numerous National Capital Region-State Colleges and Universities Athletic Association (NCR-SCUAA) chess title during his college days, actually was undefeated in this Nine Round Swiss-system World Chess Federation (FIDE) sanctioned rapid tournament with eight wins a draw in nine outings to received the top prize of RM 2,000 (Malaysian Ringgit).

Among his crucial wins that includes Abdul Jamil Nurul Aisyah (Round 1), Rokeman Nur Syahirah (Round 2), Jusoh Mohd Bakri (Round 3), Mohd Syaahil Hamid (Round 4) and Zulkifli Muhd Syazwan of Malaysia (Round 5), countryman NM Carlo Lorena (Round 6) and Nik Nik Ahmad Farouqi (Round 7) and Nik Hasan Nik Mohd Nazri of Malaysia (Round 9). Compatriot Michael Angelo Palma salvaged a draw with Villanueva in the eight and penultimate round.

The win boosted Villanueva's morale as he prepares to compete in the 15th Bangkok Chess Club Open on April 12 to 19 at the Dusit Thani Pattaya Hotel in Pattaya, Thailand.

Paragua, Ondangan, Sevilla, Nouri shines in US chess tourneys

by Marlon Bernardino

Filipino chessers were recently named as most outstanding players in separate tournaments in the United States.

Grandmaster Mark Paragua won its fifth chess title in the Big Apple. He finished tie for first with GM Michael Rohde after tallying 3.5 points apiece last January 25. He beat Joseph Zeltsan, Edward Kopiecki and Jay Richard Bonin and drew with Rohde in the final round. The Bulacan based Paragua also won last January 8, 16, 22 and 24 in New York City.

Meanwhile, United States Master Ruben Ondangan and Fernando Sevilla shared the top honors with 3.5 points each in the Antelope Valley 1st Winter Open Chess Tournament last January 25 in Palmdale, California.

His daughter Julia Sevilla together with Alekhine Nouri settled for second and third placers with 4.5 points in the Dreaming King Open Chess Tournament last January 17 to 19 in San Diego Chess Club, San Diego, California. Jeffrey Chou took the crown with perfect 5 points.