Three weeks ago we discussed the 2017 Piaya Network Negros Open International Chess Tournament held in Bacolod and I failed to mention who the sponsors were. This is a rather huge omission as I have always been saying that it takes only one passionate, dedicated individual to make a difference in Philippine chess and here is a perfect example of chess lovers stepping up to revive the chess in Bacolod City to the heights it once enjoyed.
This international event was put together without any government subsidies and it was the great effort of Mr. Antonio Ivan Aguirre, Mr. Hugo Villanueva and the Piaya Broadcasting Network Corp. who pooled their resources together to come up with a world-class tournament.
Today I will introduce you to Hugo Villanueva. He was born in Oct. 27, 1961 in Bacolod City to Atty. Eugenio Villanueva, Jr. and Perla Delfin Villanueva. He caught the chess bug early after his brother Lawrence taught him how to play. Playing almost every day Hugo became a really strong chesser and was chosen to represent the province of Negros Occidental in regional meets, Western Visayas competitions and even the National Palarong Pambansa.
Upon graduation he took up engineering subjects in the Manuel L. Quezon University. It was around this time that Hugo won the 1978 YMCA National Chess Championship and tied for second place in the 1979 Philippine National Junior Chess Championship held in Manila.
He later on transferred back to Bacolod to enroll in the West Negros College where he graduated Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering in March 1984. During these days, with him playing on top board, the West Negros College dominated the Colleges Chess Team tournaments from 1980-1984.
He left for the United States in 1985 in search of greener pastures. As an engineer his career flourished — he prepared electrical engineering designs for power, lighting, fire alarm and signal/communication systems for various companies and commercial establishments, including office buildings. He passed the United States National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying (NCEES) and was registered as a Professional Electric Engineer in July 2009. Hugo Villanueva was now an “Engineer of Record” with licenses to practice in California, Nevada, Arizona and Guam.
Eventually he set up the Chessbake Engineering Group which worked with various clients to turn their vision into reality — they would work from concept design and construction document, secure permits and then help in the construction and administration of the project.
As a chessplayer Hugo has been going around competing in open tournaments in Los Angeles and is always a strong contender for the gold medal of the Under-2300 sections in these giant opens. He got the gold medal for that section in the 1990 and 1992 American Open and the 1995 Ventura County Chess Championship.
He also organized a Fil-Am chess team “Hugo’s Heroes” to play in the American Team West Championships, which they have won several times. This is a part of the amateur team championship in the United States — four-man-teams averaging 2200 each (you can have a GM on your team, for example, and an 1800 on the bottom boards so long as they average out to 2200) compete in this national tournament authorized by the US Chess Federation. The winners of this event play in a National Team Championship along with the winners of North, East and South that are organized in the same weekend.
Other Filipinos who have played for “Hugo’s Heroes” include Peter Tidoy, Nel Elizalde, Peterson Durias, Romeo Reario, Danilo Jordan, Aldrin Vidal, Jun Octavio, Lino Castillo, Alex Felix, Gene Hermogenes, and Sam Cea.
It was around this time that he met compatriot Tony Aguirre from Riverside California, who was actively organizing various team tournaments against other strong players from various cities, schools, etc. and was part of the Rancho-Cucamonga Chess Club. Other active Filipino organizers were Danilo Jordan who is President of Carson Chess Club (together with Oscar Sibal) and IM Angelo Young, the President of Chicago Chess Club.
Hugo Villanueva stopped playing competitive chess after 2011 and nowadays mostly play 5-minute blitz with his chess friends, including Tony Aguirre. They are both semi-retired but want to give back something to their hometown, which is why they actively organize local and international tournaments through the Bacolod Chess Club, to make it the “bedrock and training ground for future chess masters.”
Even as a “retiree” Hugo is still a tough competitor. Let me show you one of the last games he played before he retired.
Villanueva, Hugo (2284) — Abrahamyan, Tatev (2383) [C02]
28th US Amateur Team West (4), 20.02.2011
WGM Tatev Abrahamyan is an Armenian-born American chessplayer who has represented the USA in women’s chess olympiads since 2008.
1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.e5 c5 4.c3 Nc6 5.Nf3 Qb6 6.Be2
The move 6.a3 has become the main line (by far!) of the Advance Variation. In fact, the well-known chess author/coach/theoretician GM Viktor Moskalenko says that it is virtually forced in this position! The first player prepares an expansion on the queenside to keep Black’s pieces cramped. Black usually obtains a nice lead in development and will try to open up the position to get at White’s king. Hugo’s move is the classical way to play the French which still has its followers.
6…Bd7
Moskalenko in “the Flexible French” says that the best move here is 6…Nh6! if now 7.Bxh6 gxh6 (Moskalenko says that 7…Qxb2? 8.Qd2 Qxa1 9.0–0 is better for White although some people may not agree) 8.Qd2 Bg7 9.Na3 cxd4 10.cxd4 0–0 11.0–0 f6 with chances for both sides.
7.0–0 Rc8 8.a3
Sveshnikov, one of the greatest living authorities on the French, says that White could have gotten an advantage here with 8.dxc5 Bxc5 9.b4. He was commenting on the game Steinitz vs Showalter from London 1899 (!) and said that White, “having neglected this possibility, for the entire game he had to struggle for equality.” The game continues 8.b3 cxd4 9.cxd4 Nge7 10.Na3 Nf5 11.Nc2 Nb4 12.Ne3 Nxe3 13.fxe3 Be7 14.Ne1 0–0 15.a3 Nc6 16.b4 f6 17.exf6 Bxf6 Black still having a slight advantage here. Steinitz,W-Showalter,J London 1899 1/2 51.
8…Nh6
Abrahamyam goes back to the main lines. Perhaps she thought that better winning chances for her to keep the position open rather than close it with 8…c4 9.Nbd2 Na5.
9.b4
White did not care to enter the complications with 9.Bxh6 Qxb2 10.Nbd2 gxh6 11.c4 everything is unclear.
9…cxd4 10.cxd4 Nf5 11.Be3 Nxe3
An interesting move here is 11…g5!? 12.Bxg5 (12.Nxg5 Bh6 White’s pieces are awkwardly placed) 12…Ncxd4 13.Bd3 Rg8 14.Bf6 (14.Bf4? Nxf3+ 15.Qxf3 Nh4 and suddenly Black is winning) 14…Bh6 Black has a firm initiative at no material cost.
12.fxe3 Be7 13.Ra2 f6 14.exf6 Bxf6 15.Kh1 0–0 16.Rc2 Ne7
The knight aims for Nc6–e7–f5–d6–c4.
17.Nc3 Nf5 18.Qc1 g6 19.Bd3 Bg7 20.g4 Nd6 21.h3 Nc4 22.Ne2 Bb5 23.Nf4 Rce8 24.Ra2 <D>
POSITION AFTER 24.RA2
The crucial position.
24…Nxe3!
True to her active style Black could not stand to sit back and wait for White and decides to take matters into her own hands. Let us examine the position a few moves from now.
25.Qxe3 Rxf4 26.Qxf4 Bxd3 27.Rff2 Be4
The black bishop has a beautiful square on e4 and also controls the square c2 so the white rook cannot occupy the c-file. Black should be ahead although Hugo now shows what a tough defender he is. First he straightens out his position and then pushes back the opponent. Watch.
28.Kh2 Rf8 29.Qg3 Rc8 30.Qf4 h6 31.h4 Rf8 32.Qg3 Kh7 33.Rae2 a5?
A step in the wrong direction. Also bad is 33…Bxd4? 34.Nxd4 Rxf2+ 35.Rxf2 Qxd4 because of 36.Qc7+. The correct way is 33…Rc8 and try to get in …Rc3 or …Rc1.
34.bxa5 Qxa5
Black has taken her own queen out of position. Now, with pressure on d4 relieved Hugo manages to untangle his pieces.
35.Nd2 Rxf2+ 36.Qxf2 Qc7+ 37.Qg3 Qc2 38.Qe3 Bd3 39.Rf2 Qc3 40.Rf3 Qc7+ 41.Kg2 Bb5 42.Qxe6
Finally. White is out of the woods and it is his time to play for a win.
42…Bd7? 43.Rf7! Bxe6 44.Rxc7 Bxg4 45.Rxb7 Kg8 46.Nf3 1–0
Abrahamyan played well at the beginning but perhaps did not reckon on what a tough player the 50-year-old senior sitting across the table from her is.
We need more people like Hugo Villanueva and Tony Aguirre. They give without asking for anything in return.
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.
