2017 National Chess Championship Grand Finals
Alphaland Makati Place
Sept. 6-13, 2017
Final Standings
1. IM Haridas Pascua 2427, 7.5/10
2-3. GM John Paul Gomez 2463, IM Paulo Bersamina 2397, 7.0/10
4. GM Rogelio Barcenilla 2457, 6.510
5-6. IM Chito Garma 2325, Jonathan Jota 2101, 5.0/10
7-8. Jeth Romy Morado, GM Darwin Laylo, 4.5/10
9. IM Ronald Bancod 2276, 3.5/10
10. John Marvin Miciano 2212, 3.0/10
11. Michael Concio, Jr 1688, 1.5/10
12. GM Rogelio Antonio , Jr, 2438, withdrew
Time Control: 90 minutes for the whole game with 30 seconds added after every move starting move 1.
For this year’s edition of the National Grand Finals seven (7) of the participants were supposed to be seeded from our pool of International Grandmasters, or GMs, and five (5) were to come from the National Semifinals which is preceded by a series of qualifiers.
Unfortunately, although the Philippines has 12 GMs (Ino Sadorra, Oliver Barbosa, Mark Paragua, Joseph Sanchez, John Paul Gomez, Eugene Torre, Rogelio Barcenilla, Richard Bitoon, Roland Salvador, Rogelio Antonio, Jr, Darwin Laylo and Jayson Gonzales) only four of them suited up to play. This left three slots which were then awarded to our near-GMs (players who had GM norms) like IMs Haridas Pascua and Paulo Bersamina and then a wild card given to Michael Concio. The latter, a 12-year-old from Dasmariñas, Cavite has really been on a tear lately — he swept two Under-12 events before winning the 12th Goldis Malaysia Chess Challenge with a score of 8.5/9.
The National Semifinals and its 5 qualifiers:
2017 National Chess Championship Semifinals
PSC, Manila
July 24-28, 2017
Final Top Standings
1-2. John Marvin Miciano 2212, IM Chito Garma 2325, 7.0/9
3-5. IM Ronald Bancod 2276, Jonathan Jota 2101, Jeth Romy Morado 2132, 6.5/9
6-9. FM Sander Severino 2358, Michael Concio, Jr. 1688, Virgen Gil Ruaya 2101, Nixon Curioso 2121, 6.0/9
Time Control: 60 minutes for the whole game with 30 seconds added after every move starting move 1.
John Marvin Miciano of Davao City is a Grade 12 student of the Far Eastern University and the reigning National Junior (Under-20) of the country. Think about that for a while — this 16-year-old high school student won the Semifinals on tie-breaks from local chess legend Chito Garma, ahead of many of the top National Masters of the country. Another old-timer, IM Ronald Bancod, tied for the last three qualifying places with Jonathan Jota (the top board of the College team Lyceum Pirates) and Jeth Romy Morado, the reigning Shell Active Champion. It is noteworthy that Morado is also a member of the High School team of Far Eastern University. I wonder what FEU Coach GM Jayson Gonzales is feeding those guys in Morayta?
GM Joey Antonio was the prohibitive favorite to win the Grand Finals but suffered three straight losses in as many rounds to Haridas, Garma and then the unknown and untitled 20 year-old from Lyceum Jonathan Jota. GM Joey then withdrew from the event. NCFP executive director Red Dumuk said the reason was severe sinusitis, but I think it has more to do with the following game.
Antonio, Rogelio Jr (2438) — Jota, Jonathan (2101) [C02]
2017 National Chess Championship Alphaland Makati Place (3.2), 07.09.2017
1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.e5 c5 4.c3 Bd7 5.Nf3 Qb6
Obviously Black wants to exchange light-squared bishops with …Bb5.
6.Bd3
In Svidler vs Shirov the GM from St. Petersburg got confused and played 6.Be2? This bishop has to be in d3, because after 6…Bb5 7.dxc5 Bxc5 8.b4? Bxf2+ 9.Kf1 we have an unfavorable version of the line used in our game. This one wound up a 13–move disaster: 9…Bd7 10.Qd2 Nh6 11.Bd3? Ng4 12.Qg5? this move loses but it is hard to suggest improvements. 12…Bb5! 13.c4 Bg3! 0–1 Svidler,P (2733)-Shirov,A (2713) Leon 2004.
6…Bb5 7.dxc5! Bxc5 8.b4 Bxd3
That is the difference between putting the white bishop on d3 and e2. On d3 the White king can go to 8…Bxf2+ 9.Ke2 Bxd3+ 10.Qxd3 the bishop cannot be extricated.
9.Qxd3 Bf8
Same issue as in the previous move. 9…Bxf2+ 10.Ke2 the bishop is a goner. After the text move Black’s entire excursion is a failure and White has the upper hand.
10.0–0 Nc6 11.a4 Nge7 12.Re1 Ng6 13.h4 Qc7 14.Qe2 h5 15.Na3 a6 16.Bg5?!
I don’t like this move as it allows the exchange of bishops.
16…Be7 17.Bxe7 Ngxe7 18.Nc2 Nf5
Now the game is completely equal.
19.c4 dxc4 20.Qxc4 Rc8 21.Qf4 Nce7 22.Ncd4 0–0 23.Qg5 g6 24.Rad1 Rfd8 25.g3 Rd7 26.Nxf5 Nxf5 27.Qf6
White’s attack has hit a dead-end. For example 27.g4 Rxd1 28.Rxd1 hxg4 29.Qxg4 Qc4 30.Qg5 (or 30.Rd8+ Kg7 31.Qg5 Qc1+ same diagnosis — once the queens are off Black is better) 30…Rf8 31.Rd8 Qxb4 Black is better in the endgame.
27…Rcd8 28.Rxd7 Rxd7 29.Kg2 Qc3 30.Re4 Qc6 31.Ng5 Qxa4 32.Kh2 Qc6 33.g4?
This is the culprit. With 33.Rf4 it is still a game.
33…Qc2 34.Rf4 hxg4 35.Ne4 Rd4 36.Ng5 Qc7 37.Nxe6 fxe6 38.Qxg6+ Ng7 39.Qf6 Rxf4 40.Qxf4 Qf7 41.Qd4 Qf3 0–1
FINAL POSITION
After this huge upset to go together with another big win in the first round against GM Darwin Laylo the red-hot Jonathan Jota was leading the tournament and in high spirits: two wins against International Grandmasters in the first three rounds! That is really something.
And then everything unraveled — GM Joey withdrew which caused this precious win to be nullified. Demoralized at this turn of events Jonathan nevertheless gathered himself and fought on. The next three rounds saw a win against Miciano and draws vs GM Barcenilla and the 12-year-old sensation Michael Concio. And then another misfortune — he was forced to skip the 7th round and endure a forfeit loss to GM John Paul Gomez because his college team Lyceum Pirates were playing San Beda for the NCAA chess championship.
You would think someone playing (and leading!) the National Grand Finals would have no difficulty in an NCAA game, but no — San Beda top board Ma. Joseph Turqueza is a very strong FIDE Master and brilliantly sacrificed his queen to force Jota’s resignation. This was the decisive game of the San Beda-Lyceum match and resulted in the Lions going home with NCAA gold and the Lyceum Pirates settling for the silver.
Turqueza, Mari Joseph — Jota, Jonathan [D70]
2017 NCAA Chess Finals JPL Freedom Hall, LPU Manila (11.1), 17.09.2017
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.f3 d5 4.cxd5 Nxd5 5.e4 Nb6 6.Nc3 Bg7 7.Be3 0–0 8.Qd2 Nc6 9.0–0–0 Na5 10.b3 Nc6 11.h4 f5 12.e5 h5 13.Bh6 e6 [13…Qxd4! forces the exchange of queens] 14.Bxg7 Kxg7 15.Nh3 Qxh4 16.Bb5 Qe7 17.g4 h4 18.Ng5 f4 19.Nce4 Rh8 20.Kb2 Nd5 21.Qf2 Bd7 22.Rh3 Nxe5? 23.dxe5 Bxb5 24.Rdh1 Nb4 [Threatening Nd3+] 25.Qxh4! Nd3+ 26.Kb1 Rxh4 27.Rxh4 [Black has no defense to the rook incursion on the 7th rank] 27…Rg8 28.Rh7+ Kf8 29.Nf6 Nxe5 30.Rxe7
1–0
We will look more closely at this game in a future column.
After this Jota’s trials continued. The forfeit vs GM John Paul slid him down the standings and trying to make up for lost ground caused losses in the last two rounds against IM Pascua and Chito Garma. At the end Jonathan Jota finished in 6th place, still a good place but in the light of his hot start some other people might view this as a disappointment.
Don’t worry Jonathan, from what I have seen of the games your time will soon come.
John Miciano did not do so well in the Grand Finals: 2 wins 2 draws and 6 losses. As to bloodthirsty chess though there is no shortage of that in his games. Miciano’s tactical skill is really impressive. The following would have been the best game of the tournament if he had not missed the forced mate at the end.
Miciano, John Marvin (2212) — Pascua, Haridas (2427) [B70]
PHI-Ch 2017 Makati (3.4), 07.09.2017
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 g6 6.g3 Bg7 7.Bg2 0–0
Please don’t fall for 7…Nc6? 8.Nxc6 bxc6 9.e5.
8.0–0 Nc6 9.Nde2 Rb8 10.a4 a6 11.h3 b5 12.axb5 axb5 13.Nd5 Nd7 14.c3 e6 15.Ne3 Qc7 16.Nd4 Nxd4
Now is the best time for 16…b4! 17.Nxc6 Qxc6 18.Bd2 Nc5 19.cxb4 Nxe4 Black was doing well here.. Alekseev,E (2708)-Svidler,P (2738) Moscow 2008 1/2 67.
17.cxd4 Bb7 18.Qb3 e5 19.d5 Nc5 20.Qc2 b4 21.Bd2 b3 22.Qb1 Qd7 23.Rc1 f5 24.Bb4 Nxe4 25.Bxe4 fxe4 26.Qxe4 Bh6 27.Rc3 Bxe3 28.Rxe3 Rf6 29.Rxb3 Qxh3 30.Be1 Rf4 31.Rxb7!
[31.gxf4 Qxb3 32.Bc3 Qxd5 33.Qxd5+ Bxd5 34.Ra5 Bb3 35.fxe5 dxe5 36.Rxe5 is equal, but John Miciano, a fierce attacker, was not interested in equality]
31…Rxe4 32.Rxb8+ Kg7 33.Ra7+ Kf6 34.Bd2 Kf5
What else? 34…g5 35.Rf8+ Kg6 36.Rg8+ Kf6 37.Bxg5+ Kf5 38.Rf7+ Kg4 39.Be3+ Kh5 40.Rxh7#
35.Rf7+ Kg4 36.Rb3
White was most probably short of time, for he would normally see stuff like 36.Rb4! which forces the black rook to leave his protection of the e1 square 36…Rxb4 37.f3+ Kxg3 38.Be1# but no harm done yet for after the text White is still winning.
36…Rf4 37.Bxf4?
[37.f3+!]
37…exf4 38.Rxf4+ Kg5 39.Rb6 Qd7 40.b4 Qe7 41.Kh2 Qe5 42.Rb8 Qxd5 43.b5 Qc5 44.b6 Qa5 45.Rf7 Kg4 46.b7 Qh5+ 47.Kg1??
After 47.Kg2 John is still winning
47…Kh3! 0–1
And now, to his stock, Miciano realizes that Black’s king and queen will mate him.
Bobby Ang is a founding member of the National Chess Federation of the Philippines (NCFP) and its first Executive Director. A Certified Public Accountant (CPA), he taught accounting in the University of Santo Tomas (UST) for 25 years and is currently Chief Audit Executive of the Equicom Group of Companies.
