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BoI hoping to steer garments industry away from fast fashion

THE government’s plan to revive the garments industry will take producers away from fast fashion, where the country’s costs are uncompetitive, and into higher value-added activities and niches that involve more upcycling.

Ma. Corazon Halili-Dichosa, Board of Investments (BoI) executive director of industry development services, said that the agency plans to “support not only the indigenous textile and garment production but also producers involved in (the practice) of upcycling.”

“Given the lower cost of production in other countries in the region, it has become difficult to compete (in) fast fashion… so BoI is essentially looking at niche segments where the country can take a larger role in the industry,” Ms. Halili-Dichosa told reporters in a news conference Wednesday.

Fast fashion depends on short time to market, interpreting high-fashion garments recently debuting on runways into more mass market-friendly versions. Upcycling is the environmentally-sustainable practice of repurposing materials to products of higher quality than originally intended.

Ms. Halili-Dichosa said upcycling cuts costs and adds value to garments by using by-products, scraps, or unwanted textiles, while also making the industry more sustainable.

Fast fashion has been identified as having high environmental costs because it makes the rapid replacement of garments at the next fashion cycle easier due to the discarded items of clothing being purchased cheaply, thereby becoming less valued by users.

The BoI also called for the upgrading of design content to allow the industry to “move away from the simpler business models and improve value addition.”

According to the Philippine Statistics Authority, garment exports fell 7% year-on-year in the nine months to September.

According to the World Trade Organization Vietnam was the largest garments exporter in Southeast Asia in 2018 with $8.1 billion, followed by Indonesia ($4 billion), Thailand ($3.7 billion), Malaysia ($1.9 billion), Singapore ($706 million), and Cambodia ($220 million).

The Philippines, on the other hand, was lagging at $200 million, ahead of Myanmar ($106 million), Laos ($5 million), and Brunei ($1 million).

BoI’s Ms. Halili-Dichosa said that the agency has yet to publish its road map for the garments and textile industry, which was initially set to come out last year.

Andrew Kay, managing director of CP Exhibition Ltd., said at the same news conference that the global market does not view the Philippines as a good supplier of garments and textiles, judging by the decision of Chinese manufacturers to set up production elsewhere in the region amid the ongoing trade war with the US.

“I think many Chinese garments (manufacturers) need to move to other countries and Vietnam is, of course, one of their first choices,” Mr. Kay said, adding that Vietnam has cheaper manpower and electricity costs.

CP Exhibition organizes the upcoming Philippine Garment Leather Industries and Textile Expo that will be held from Dec. 5 to 8 at the SMX Convention Center in Pasay City. — G. L. Espedido

Gov’t urged to adopt more coordinated upskilling

THE Philippines must create a national human capital development plan to upskill its workforce, ASEAN Society Philippines President and former Tourism undersecretary Alma Rita R. Jimenez said at the Department of Trade and Industry’s (DTI) Skills Forum on Wednesday.

She said private industry, educators, and civil society need to build a framework that would identify the country’s market advantages prior to investing resources for upskilling.

“We need to identify what our comparative advantage is as a country, the market where we need to supply talent, and the talent needs of our country,” she said in Filipino in an interview after her speech.

She said that putting in resources to key industries and skills would offer gains that would “positively move the needle for the country.”

She came out against uncoordinated plans to upskill workers in dozens of industries.

“We just cannot say that what they’re doing is good for us because we are operating on different planes, different level of competitiveness, different resources,” she said, referring to attempts to emulate Singapore’s upskilling process.

The Philippine framework, she said, should include implementable and actionable plans to address employment needs in the face of automation.

Ms. Jimenez in her speech noted that the country has “restrictive labor laws” that must be updated to address the growth in work-from-home freelancing, and the entry of efficient robots in manufacturing.

“The protection afforded to this segment should be requiring employers to upskill, reskill, and retool.”

The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) in September signed a Memorandum of Understanding with SkillsFuture Singapore — an arm of Singapore’s Ministry of Education — to address the skills gap in the Philippine workforce.

The DTI identified six priority sectors based on their availability and readiness to collaborate, and plans to expand the program to around 21 more sectors.

Trade Undersecretary Rafaelita M. Aldaba told a panel the department is working with industry groups to formulate sector-based road maps.

“It’s a matter of updating the existing road maps, and incorporating chapters or incorporating discussions with respect to refining what the innovation goals of our industries are along with the adoption of these new technologies,” she said.

She said that the initiatives are collaborative between government, the education sector, and industry. — Jenina P. Ibañez

DoF, OSG clarify positions on POGO taxability

THE Department of Finance (DoF) and the Office of the Solicitor General (OSG) cleared the air on the taxability of Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs) after days of back-and-forth on the issue, reaching apparent consensus on the tax obligations of resident POGOs and their employees.

Foreign-based Philippine offshore gaming companies generating income offshore as it caters to foreign gamblers are indeed not subject to local taxes, according to the Department of Finance (DoF) and Office of the Solicitor General (OSG).

In a letter by Solicitor-General Jose C. Calida to Finance Secretary Carlos G. Dominguez III showed by the DoF to reporters Wednesday, the two sides clarified Mr. Calida’s earlier statements on POGO taxability, acknowledging that gaming operators “strictly and exclusively” deriving income outside the country are not subject to Philippine tax.

Mr. Calida also acknowledged that the revenue of Philippine based POGOs and Philippine service providers are subject to Philippine tax.

Mr. Dominguez added that Philippine service providers are subject to income tax and value-added tax (VAT), based on whether it has workers based in the Philippines.

“The service provider of the POGO located in the Philippines through workers/employees here, is subject to income tax and VAT on its fees charged to the nonresident POGO,” he told reporters in a phone message.

The OSG said Philippine service providers are those that hire foreign employees to work here to provide information technology support services. Live-streamed games are then sold to foreign-based POGOs, which collect bets from clients. The Philippines can then tax the service providers’ fees from foreign POGOs, which constitute its revenue.

Mr. Dominguez added that if the actual gaming operator is located in the Philippines and is licensed by the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. (PAGCOR), its revenue is subject to a 5% franchise tax.

Mr. Calida also clarified that he recognizes the BIR’s authority to interpret tax laws.

He said that the OSG’s legal opinion on the taxability of POGOs was issued on Dec. 19, 2018 at PAGCOR’s request.

“Moreover, the OSG supports the legislative efforts of Congress to streamline the efficient collection of taxes from these entities,” he said further. — Beatrice M. Laforga

‘Build, Build, Build’ obtains foreign financing of $8.47 billion

THE government has obtained $8.47 billion worth of external financing for the “Build, Build, Build” program since the start of its term, the Department of Finance (DoF) said, adding that it is also working to shore up local sources of funding.

“Since the start of the Duterte administration, $8.47 billion worth of external financing has been secured, all at concessional interest rates and with very long tenors to fund ‘Build, Build, Build,’” Finance Assistant Secretary Antonio Joselito G. Lambino II said at a briefing with foreign investors at Clark Freeport.

He said financing the infrastructure program will be made more “sustainable” as the government pursues reforms to the tax system like the Comprehensive Tax Reform Program (CTRP).

He said the government has been “borrowing responsibly” from domestic and foreign sources, as well as in obtaining official development assistance (ODA).

“The Duterte administration will continue to spend heavily on infrastructure, as it is the kind of state investment with the highest multiplier effects on the economy and provides the best returns to our people,” he said.

In 2018, he said that the government spent P889 billion on infrastructure modernization, equivalent to more than 5% of gross domestic product (GDP).

This compares to the 2.5% average annual infrastructure spending-to-GDP ratio of the past 50 years, he said.

The government recently revised its infrastructure priority list to 100 from 75, taking in more Public-Private Partnerships, scrapping projects that were deemed not feasible while including more “small but game-changing” projects.

In a recent report, Public Works Secretary Mark A. Villar said a total of 9,845 kilometers (km) of roads, 2,709 bridges, 4,536 flood control projects, 82 evacuation centers and 71,803 classrooms have been completed under “Build, Build, Build” since June 2016.

Meanwhile, the DoF said that the Department of Transportation and its agencies have completed 64 airport projects during this presidential term, while 133 more are ongoing.

Six railway projects are currently being constructed while one is under rehabilitation; 243 commercial and social or tourism seaport projects have been completed, while 136 are ongoing.

“We go around to take a look at these projects on the ground, and we do see that ‘Build, Build, Build’ is making a difference in people’s lives, especially in the provinces,” Mr. Lambino said. — Beatrice M. Laforga

Expanded maternity leaves make a difference

In Manila, you can tell that the Christmas season has begun when street posts and trees are adorned with glittering lights; traffic gets heavier, shopping malls become busier; and Christmas songs start playing on the airwaves. For Filipinos, Christmas is the most awaited holiday of the year, anticipated as early as September. Such festivities, fortunately or otherwise, come with gift-giving traditions and family celebrations that often obligate people to dig deeper into their pockets.

According to reports, an average Filipino family’s earnings goes to food, clothing, utilities, transportation, and education. Managing the family budget becomes even more of a challenge in an inflationary Christmas season. More so if there is a new member of the family, whose inclusion requires an additional allocation from the household budget.

Thankfully, Republic Act (RA) No. 11210 or the Expanded Maternity Leave Law (EMLL) came into effect on March 11. For female workers, the maternity leave period was increased to 105 days with full pay, and an option to extend up to 30 days without pay. Solo mothers can also avail of an additional 15 days of leave.

Full pay consists of the maternity benefit under the Social Security System (SSS) based on the average salary credit plus salary differential, if any, to be paid by the employer. Thus, the expectant or postpartum mother, while away from work, is still compensated even in her absence.

The other good news is the position that the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) has taken on the taxation of the salary differential under Revenue Memorandum Circular (RMC) No. 105-2019. In determining whether or not the salary differential is taxable, the BIR referred to Section 32 of the Tax Code as implemented by Section 2.78.1(B)(1)(e) of Revenue Regulations (RR) No. 2-98, as amended, which provides that “payments of benefits made under the Social Security System Act of 1954, as amended” are exempt from income/withholding tax.

Based on the cited provisions of the EMLL, its implementing rules (IRR), and the respective issuances of the SSS and the Department of Labor and Employment (DoLE), salary differential is considered a benefit. And since Section 2.78.1(B)(1)(e) of RR No. 2-98 does not provide any qualifications in granting tax exemptions for the benefits received under the SSS Law, the salary differential is exempt from income and withholding taxes.

This is truly an answered prayer for a female worker who availed of the EMLL and who, for example, receives an annual salary between P400,000 and P800,000. She will have a tax saving of P15,000 or 25%, assuming that the calculated salary differential is P60,000.

Now, one other question that a female worker who availed of the EMLL during the year may have is whether she will still receive her 13th month pay in an amount equivalent to a full month’s salary.

Based on the Labor Code of the Philippines, employees are entitled to a mandatory 13th month pay, which is paid out not later than Dec. 24 of every year to all rank and file employees, provided they worked for at least one month during the calendar year.

The 13th month pay is calculated as the total basic salary earned during the year divided over 12 months. The amount will be pro-rated if the employee has not been with his employer for the entire year. The “basic salary” of an employee for computing the 13th month pay includes all remunerations or earnings paid by his employer for services rendered, but does not include allowances and monetary benefits, which are not considered or integrated as part of the regular or basic salary, such as the cash equivalent of unused vacation and sick leave credits, overtime, premium, night differential and holiday pay, and cost-of-living allowances.

On this note, can the SSS maternity benefit and the salary differential be considered basic salary to calculate the 13th month pay? The answer is partly no and yes, respectively. On the one hand, the SSS maternity benefit is a benefit given by the SSS and not by the employer, and even before the effectivity of the EMLL, it was DoLE’s stand that this is not part of the 13th month pay computation. On the other hand, salary differential is mandated by law to be paid by the employers and it is further confirmed under Section IV of the DoLE Advisory No. 01-2019 (issued on July 9, 2019) that it shall be considered in the computation.

So, by following the statutory formula, only the salary differential shall be included in the computation of the 13th month pay, but not the maternity benefit received from the SSS. If the employee was on leave for 105 days, her 13th month pay needs to be prorated to exclude the 105 days of her absence. In sum, the concerned female worker would not receive a full 13th month pay, unless the employer generously gives the entire amount of the benefit above what is required by law.

Nonetheless, with the recent enhancements in the maternity benefit, our female workers have much to be grateful for. By expanding their maternity leave, the state acknowledges the vital contribution that mothers give to society. And while those who availed of their maternity leave cannot expect the full amount of their 13th month pay, the additional time off with their newborn, the salary differential, and the savings from the tax exemption of SSS benefits are enough reasons to rejoice this yuletide season.

The views or opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of Isla Lipana & Co. The content is for general information purposes only, and should not be used as a substitute for specific advice.

 

May Anne Tolentino is a manager at the Client Accounting Services group of Isla Lipana & Co., the Philippine member firm of the PwC network.

+63 (2) 8845-2728

may.anne.tolentino@pwc.com

Ateneo Blue Eagles in historic win

By Michael Angelo S. Murillo
Senior Reporter

THE Ateneo Blue Eagles ended University Athletic Association of the Philippines Season 82 where they started — on top — but with added significance as it made league history by completing a rare sweep.

Beat the University of Santo Tomas Growling Tigers, 86-79, in Game Two of their best-of-three finals on Wednesday at the Mall of Asia Arena, the Eagles notched a third straight UAAP title and going undefeated along the way.

The season sweep was something not seen in almost three decades in the UAAP and put the Eagles in elite company, joining the University of the East (1969 and 1970), Far Eastern University (1976, 1980 and 1981) and UST (1993) as the only teams to fashion out a perfect season.

In completing the sweep, Ateneo turned to its steadiness and big-game mentality, a trademark of the team all season long, to overcome the gallant fight the Tigers put up in trying to extend the series.

Led by Thirdy Ravena the Eagles soared early, dominating the opening quarter on their way to a 31-18 lead at the end of the first 10 minutes.

In the second frame, the Tigers fought on a firmer footing, with Soulemane Chabi Yo and Mark Nonoy getting UST’s offense humming.

But the Eagles would stand their ground, holding a 42-32 advantage at the half.

Off the reboot, the two teams went at it at the onset.

The Tigers though would get significant headway on the lead of Rhenz Abando and Nonoy.

They pulled to within two points, 62-60, with 1:30 remaining in the frame.

Ateneo eventually survived the UST onslaught as it was still up, 67-62, heading into the fourth canto.

The Tigers kept the pressure on the Eagles to begin the last quarter, crowding the latter, 67-66, with eight minutes to play.

Ateneo, however, steadied its ship in the next two minutes, creating more breathing space, 72-66.

The Tigers tried to claim some real estate back after only to find an Ateneo squad not a willing party.

The count was at 83-71 in favor of the Eagles entering the last two minutes.

Sherwin Concepcion drained a triple for UST at the 1:35 mark to cut its deficit to nine points, 83-74.

Like what they had been doing all game long though, the Eagles had answers.

It was an 86-79 affair for Ateneo with 34 ticks to go and it was a hole UST would not be able to recover from as the Eagles closed out things and claimed the title.

Ravena led the way for Ateneo with 17 points, followed by SJ Belangel and Matt Nieto with 14 points each.

For UST it was Mr. Abando who led with 16 points, backstopped by Nonoy and Chabi Yo with 14 and 11 points, respectively.

“16-0 was something we never really dreamed of. But it was dream season for us definitely. All these guys put in the work and sacrifice and this the result of that,” said Ateneo coach Tab Baldwin after Game Two.

The latest title was the 11th for the Eagles in the UAAP.

PLAYER AWARDEES
Right before the start of Game Two, season individual awards were handed out.

Leading the honor roll was UST’s Chabi Yo, hailed as league most valuable player.

Joining him in the mythical team selection were the La Salle duo of Justine Baltazar and Jamie Malonzo; University of the Philippines’ Kobe Paras; and University of the East’s Rey Suerte.

The Rookie of the Year award went to Mark Nonoy also of UST.

Besides the usual citations, two student-athletes were also given special awards by the league’s sponsors.

Ateneo’s Ravena was adjudged as the PSBank Bankable Player of the Season while his teammate Will Navarro was given the AXA Know You Can Player of the Season.

Pelicans prevail in Anthony’s debut with Blazers

LOS ANGELES — Jrue Holiday had 22 points and 10 assists as the host New Orleans Pelicans spoiled Carmelo Anthony’s debut by defeating the Portland Trail Blazers 115-104 on Tuesday night.

Brandon Ingram, the Pelicans’ leading scorer, returned from a four-game absence caused by a sore knee to add 21 points. JJ Redick had 18, Nicolo Melli scored 14 and E’Twaun Moore 11 as New Orleans won for just the fifth time this season but the third time in four games.

Anthony, a 35-year-old 10-time All-Star who hadn’t played in more than a year, started in his first game since signing with the Blazers. He had 10 points (on 4-of-14 shooting) and four rebounds in 24 minutes.

CJ McCollum scored 22, Hassan Whiteside had 14 points and 14 rebounds, Anfernee Simons scored 13, Nassir Little had 12 points and 11 rebounds, and Kent Bazemore added 11 points for the Blazers.

Portland, which fell to 1-2 to start a six-game, 10-day road trip, played without leading scorer Damian Lillard, who had back spasms.

The Blazers led by one point at halftime, but Pelicans rookie Jaxson Hayes started the third-quarter scoring with a pair of free throws.

That produced the first of three lead changes, and the score was tied once during the first 4:09 of the quarter.

Melli scored 12 third-quarter points, and the Pelicans opened an 83-70 advantage with 3:28 left in the period.

The Blazers made three 3-pointers before Nickeil Alexander-Walker beat the buzzer and banked in a trey to give New Orleans an 88-79 lead after three quarters.

Holiday scored five points and Ingram added four as the Pelicans increased their lead to 97-83 with eight minutes remaining. They maintained a double-digit lead the rest of the way.

Anthony took the Blazers’ first two shots, missing a jumper and then making a 3-pointer. He had five first-quarter points, and Little came off the bench to score seven as Portland took a 28-27 lead at the end of the period.

McCollum had 10 first-half points and Ingram and Holiday had 11 each as the Blazers took a 54-53 halftime lead. — Reuters

Barredo flexes muscle, reaches QF of SMART National Open

NATIONAL stalwart and 2019 Southeast Asian Games campaigner Sarah Joy Barredo dominated her opponent to move into the quarterfinals of the 2019 SMART National Badminton Open, Tuesday evening at the Muntinlupa Sports Complex.

The UAAP Season 81 women’s Rookie of the Year finish off Daisy Preglo in just 25 minutes, while only giving up five points in total. She took an overpowering 21-2, 21-3 victory to move into the next round, where she will face Samantha Ramos.

Second-seed Jochelle Alvarez joins Barredo after her two-set victory over Patricia De Leon at 21-11, 21-17.

Fellow national team members Geva De Vera and Chanelle Lunod also took care of business in the women’s doubles event. The current UAAP MVPs stopped Camille Buagas and Jiselle Capillo, 21-13, 21-12, to book their place in the last eight.

Lunod then took another win later in the afternoon alongside Carlo Remo, in a three-set conquest of Petronilo Nim II and Capillo in the mixed doubles opening round, 19-21, 21-13, 21-9.

In the men’s singles open, top seeds Ros Pedrosa and Lyrden Laborte remain on track with wins over Benny Divinagracia and Kyle Basilio, respectively, both in two sets only.

The top-ranked, national team duo of Ariel Magnaye and Alvin Morada also clinched their spot into the next round of men’s doubles, sweeping Keeyan Gabuelo and Paul Gonzales, 21-6, 21-12.

Letran: Turning frustration to motivation to succeed

By Michael Angelo S. Murillo
Senior Reporter

WITH the manner with which it lost Game Two of the just-concluded National Collegiate Athletic Association Season 95 finals, the Letran Knights could have easily caved in and lost hope; but no. Instead, the Muralla-based team chose to stick to the positives, turning their frustration to motivation on their way to being champions anew.

On Tuesday at the jam-packed Mall of Asia Arena, the Knights reclaimed the title in men’s basketball of the country’s oldest collegiate league, outlasting erstwhile defending champions San Beda Red Lions, 81-79, in their do-or-die Game Three.

The contest took a familiar route, tightly fought right from the get-go and decided only in the closing moments of the contest.

In winning their first NCAA title in four years, and 18th all time, the Knights showed the needed composure and grit to overcome the tough stand of San Beda.

Letran coach Bonnie Tan said how his players handled the situation they were in was a product of the challenges they had to deal with all season long, including their bungled plays late in Game Two that led to their defeat to San Beda.

“There is a reason for everything. That’s what I always tell the players. There was a reason there was a Game Three. When we lost in Game Two many said we were not going to bounce back from it,” said Mr. Tan of their Game Two loss that had them in control late but failed to complete the chances given to them to win the title right then and there, including a potential game-winner from Bonbon Batiller under the goal in the dying seconds.

“After the loss, the players picked up each other. There was no finger-pointing and moping. They stayed positive. Sometimes when a team loses the way we did in Game Two it explodes. But for us it kept the team stronger and the camaraderie became even tighter,” he added.

Mr. Tan went on to say that it was the case for them for Season 95, having to earn everything they had, making their latest title sweeter.

“We had a lot of trials all season long. In the step-ladder we worked everything for. In the finals we were up against defending champion San Beda, which won 18th straight (game). We just stayed positive and told ourselves we’re going to be okay. And it paid off,” said the Letran coach, who was in his first year handling the Knights.

Moving forward, Mr. Tan said the thrust for them is to build on the Knights’ latest achievement.

They, however, are going to miss the services of key cogs Jerrick Balanza and Bonbon Batiller, who already exhausted their eligibility. Also not returning is big man Christian Balagasay.

Balanza had a fantastic send-off, finishing his NCAA career with 27 points and seven rebounds in their Game Three victory to win the title. He is also a double NCAA champion, winning his first during his rookie year in Season 91.

Batiller also had it solid in redeeming himself from the blown opportunity in Game Two, finishing his NCAA career with 19 points.

Mr. Tan will now be banking on the holdovers in the team, led by finals most valuable player Fran Yu.

Alaska books a spot in Governors’ Cup quarterfinals

By Michael Angelo S. Murillo
Senior Reporter

THE Alaska Aces are heading into the next round of the Philippine Basketball Association Governors’ Cup after chalking up a key victory in their final game of the elimination round, beating the NLEX Road Warriors, 106-90, on Wednesday at the Ynares Center in Antipolo City.

Needing to win to gain outright entry into the quarterfinals of the season-ending PBA tournament, the Aces did exactly what they had to do on the lead of import Franko House.

Alaska had firm control of the opening half with its offense having it crisp.

The Aces were on top 33-23 after the opening quarter and had a 63-47 lead at the half.

NLEX tried to gain some traction in the second half but Alaska was not to buckle down from the pressure and held on strong to book the all-important win.

The victory pushed the Aces to a 5-6 record, eliminating in the process the Columbian Dyip (4-7).

Had Alaska lost, it had to play Columbian in a one-game playoff for the last quarterfinal spot.

It also moved past the Northport Batang Pier, on the strength of a better tiebreaker quotient, for number seven in the next round.

Mr. House led all scorers for Alaska with 24 points.

Kevin Racal, Abu Tratter, and Jvee Casio supported him with 12 points each.

For NLEX import Manny Harris top-scored witth 22 points.

Despite the loss, the Road Warriors (8-3) still hold the top spot and will battle number 8 team Northport in the quarters with a twice-to-beat advantage.

Azkals stay at third in Group A heading into long break in World, Asian Cup qualifiers

THE Philippine men’s national football team stayed at third place in Group A of the joint FIFA World Cup and AFC Asian Cup qualifiers after bowing to group leader Syria, 1-0, in an away match on Tuesday night in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

Played more spirited in the second half of the match, the Philippine Azkals, however, could not overcome the early deficit they had and bowed to the Syrians anew in the tournament.

The loss, albeit better than the 5-2 defeat it was handed by Syria in an earlier match, kept the Philippines (2-1-2) at third place in the race in the grouping with seven points.

On top is Syria (5-0-0) with 15 points, followed by China (2-1-1) with seven points. Fourth running is Maldives (2-0-3) with six points while Guam (0-0-5) is already eliminated.

In the ongoing qualifiers the Azkals are hoping to finish on top of the grouping, or at a least have one of the best four runner-up records among the eight groups, to advance to the next round of the World Cup qualifiers.

They next play in March 2020 against Guam in the resumption of qualifying play. — Michael Angelo S. Murillo

Superbet Rapid & Blitz

Superbet Rapid
Bucharest, Romania
November 6–8, 2019

Final Standings (Rapid portion)

1. Anton Korobov UKR 2798, 6.0/9

2–4. Anish Giri NED 2705, Shakhriyar Mamedyarov AZE 2734, Levon Aronian ARM 2768, 5.0/6

5–6. Sergey Karjakin RUS 2756, Viswanathan Anand IND 2757, 4.5/6

7–9. Fabiano Caruana USA 2791, Le Quang Liem VIE 2746, Vladislav Artemiev RUS 2768, 4.0/6

10. Wesley So USA 2802, 3.0/9

Time Control: 25 minutes play-to-finish with 10 seconds time delay before your clock starts.

Superbet Blitz
Bucharest, Romania
November 9–10, 2019

Final Standings (Blitz portion)

1–2. Le Quang Liem VIE 2680, Sergey Karjakin RUS 2829, 11.0/18

3–4. Wesley So USA 2763, Viswanathan Anand IND 2791, 10.5/18

5–6. Levon Aronian ARM 2818, Vladislav Artemiev RUS 2779, 10.0/18

7. Anish Giri NED 2740, 8.0/18

8–9. Shakhriyar Mamedyarov AZE 2740, Anton Korobov UKR 2771, 6.5/18

10. Fabiano Caruana USA 2774, 6.0/18

Time Control: Five minutes play-to-finish with three seconds time delay before your clock starts

Superbet Rapid & Blitz
Bucharest, Romania
November 6–10, 2019

Final Standings (Rapid is considered double)

1–2. Levon Aronian ARM, Sergey Karjakin RUS, 20.0/27

3. Viswanathan Anand IND, 19.5/27

4. Le Quang Liem VIE, 19.0/27

5. Anton Korobov UKR, 18.5/27

6–7. Vladislav Artemiev RUS, Anish Giri NED, 18.0/27

8–9. Wesley So USA, Shakhriyar Mamedyarov AZE, 16.5/27

10. Fabiano Caruana USA, 14.0/27

Tiebreak Match
Levon Aronian versus Sergey Karjakin, 1.5/0.5

Time control: 10 minutes play-to-finish with five seconds time delay before your clock starts.

The Superbet Rapid & Blitz took place in Bucharest Wednesday 6th November to Sunday 10th this year. It is part of the Grand Chess Tour which encompasses eight tournaments:

Classical Tournaments
($90,000 for first prize)
Zagreb (Croatia),
June 24–July 9, 2019
Sinquefield Cup (St. Louis, Missouri, USA, August 15–30, 2019

Five Rapid/Blitz Tournaments
Abidjan, Ivory Coast, May 6–13, 2019
Paris, France,
July 26–Aug. 2, 2019
St. Louis, Missouri, USA, August 8–15, 2019
Bucharest, Romania, November 4–11, 2019
Kolkata, India, Nov. 20–27, 2019

The top four players by cumulative score will qualify for the 2019 GCT Finals which will be held during the London Chess Classic in London, UK between Nov. 30 and Dec. 10.

In Bucharest Wesley started very poorly. As you know earlier this month Wesley was crowned the 1st World Champion in Fischer Random chess, a variation of chess where you shuffle the pieces on the first rank before start of play. The point of this exercise of course is to remove the whole body of chess opening theory from the competition. On the one hand it can now be claimed that Wesley is the best pure chess player in the world, on the other hand Wesley would need an adjustment period before going back to classical chess, and it showed in this tournament.

The Ukraine’s GM Anton Korobov won the Rapid portion with three wins and six draws, with Aronian, Mamedyarov and Anish Giri trailing one point behind.

Giri, Anish (2776) — So, Wesley (2760) [E04]
Superbet Rapid 2019 Bucharest ROU (1.2), 06.11.2019

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 d5 4.g3 dxc4 5.Bg2 c5 6.0–0 Nc6 7.dxc5 Qxd1 8.Rxd1 Bxc5 9.Nbd2 c3 10.bxc3 0–0 11.Nb3 Be7 12.c4 Bd7 13.Bb2 Rfd8 14.Nfd4 Rac8 15.Nb5 b6 16.Nd6 Bxd6 17.Rxd6 Be8 18.Rxd8 Nxd8 19.Rc1 Bc6 20.c5 Bxg2 21.Kxg2 Nd7 22.cxb6 Rxc1 23.Bxc1 axb6 24.Kf3 Nc6 25.Ke3 Kf8 26.Nd4 Nxd4 27.Kxd4 Ke7 28.Kc4 Kd6 29.Kb5 Kc7 30.g4 Nf6 31.Be3 Nd7 32.h4 f5 33.g5 g6 34.f4 Kb7 35.a4 Kc7 36.Bf2 Kb7 37.Bd4 Kc7 38.Bf6 h6 <D>

POSITION AFTER 38…H6

39.Bd8+!! 1–0

Giri’s 39th move is the kind you don’t consider, but once you get the idea it all looks so simple: 39.Bd8+ Kxd8 40.gxh6 Nf6 41.Kxb6 Kc8 42.Kc6 Kb8 43.Kd6 the Black king is tied down to the defense against White’s a-pawn while the White king mows down the Black kingside pawns.

The next day though Giri got unraveled and Korobov finished the day atop the standings in the Rapid portion of the event.

Artemiev, Vladislav (2731) — Giri, Anish (2776) [D40]
Superbet Rapid 2019
Bucharest ROU
(5.4), 07.11.2019

1.c4 c6 2.e4 d5 3.exd5 cxd5 4.d4 Nf6 5.Nc3 Nc6 6.Bf4 dxc4 7.Bxc4 e6 8.Nf3 Bd6 9.Ne5 0–0 10.0–0 Bb8 11.Nxc6 bxc6 12.Be5 Nd7 13.Qe2 a5 14.Rad1 Qb6 15.Bd3 Ba6 16.h4 Rd8 17.Bxa6 Qxa6 18.Qh5 h6 19.Ne4 Qb5 20.f4 Qxb2?

Giri forgets how important it is to keep the e5–bishop pinned against his h5 queen.

21.Bxg7! Kxg7 22.f5 exf5 23.Rxf5 Ne5

The only other way to defend his f7–pawn is with 23…Rf8 but i falls to 24.Qg4+ Kh7 (24…Kh8 25.Rh5 Kh7 26.Qg5) 25.Ng5+ Kh8 26.Qh5 etc.

24.Rxe5 Bxe5 25.Qxe5+ Kf8 26.Qh8+ Ke7 27.Qf6+ Kf8 28.Qxh6+ Ke7 29.Qf6+ Kf8 30.Ng5 1–0

[30.Ng5 Qb7 31.Rf1 Ke8 (31…Rd7 32.Qh8+ Ke7 33.Rxf7+ Kd6 34.Qe5#) 32.Nxf7 Kd7 33.Qd6+ Ke8 34.Qe6+ Qe7 35.Qxc6+ Kf8 36.Nh6+ Kg7 37.Nf5+ and wins]

Korobov faded badly in the Blitz portion and Sergey Karjakin and Vietnam’s Le Quang Liem tied for 1st in the Blitz portion. Overall, combining the scores of the Rapid and the Blitz (remember, double weight is given for points scored in the rapid portion) Levon Aronian and Sergey Karjakin finished in a dead heat. They then played a 2-game play-off match which Aronian won. I’d like to say at this point that it might be a good idea for tournament organizers to consult the players on some of the rules concerning game play. For example, the rapid portion (not counting the time delay) is 25 minutes per player, then blitz is five minutes, so why is the tie-break at 10 minutes per player? The players have to get a rhythm going and get used to a certain time control, so changing it for the tie-breaks is bound to mess up the players’ internal clocks.

Aronian, Levon (2772) — Karjakin, Sergey (2754) [C54]
Superbet Tiebreak 2019
Bucharest ROU (2), 10.11.2019

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.c3 Nf6 5.d4 exd4 6.e5

Jobava and Aronian still play this line on occasion. Just earlier this year Aronian tried it against Wesley So in the Croatian leg of the Grand Chess Tour but the Filipino-American GM had no trouble equalizing.

6…d5 7.Bb5 Ne4 8.cxd4 Bb6 9.Nc3 0–0 10.Be3 Bg4 11.h3 Bh5 12.Qc2 Nxc3

The main line is 12…Bg6 but the text is also what Wesley played.

13.bxc3 f6 14.exf6 Qxf6 15.Be2 Rae8

Aronian-So continued 15…Na5 16.0–0 Rae8!? a new idea 17.Ne5 Bxe2 18.Qxe2 Qe6! 19.Rae1 Nc4 20.Nxc4 (GM Mikhalevsky in “chesspublishing.com” indicates that 20.f4!? should also be considered) 20…dxc4 21.Qd1 Qd5 Black has fully equalized. Aronian, L. (2752)-So, W. (2754) Zagreb CRO 2019 1/2 44.

16.0–0 h6 17.Rae1 Qd6 18.Bc1 Ba5 19.Qd2 Re4 20.Bd1 Bxf3 21.Bxf3 Rxd4

So Black has stolen a crucial pawn, but he has not yet gotten away with it, The rook has problems disentangling and the pawn on d5 can become a target.

22.Qc2 Rc4

[22…Rh4 23.Bg4 Ne5 24.Ba3! Nf3+ 25.Bxf3 Qxa3 26.Bxd5+ Black does not get away with his ill-gotten gains.]

23.Ba3

Obviously, if …Qxa3 then Bxd5+ followed by Bxc4.

23…Bb4?

Correct is 23…Nb4! 24.Bxb4 (Going for more than equality with 24.Qd2? runs into 24…Rxf3! 25.gxf3! Qg6+ 26.Kh2 Nd3 27.Re3 Rxc3 28.Bb2 Rc1! Black wins) 24…Bxb4 25.Qd1 and everything equalizes at the end.

24.Qd3! Rxf3 25.Qxf3 Bxa3 26.Re8+ Kh7 27.Qf5+ 1–0

Black resigns because he will lose his queen after 27…Qg6 28.Rh8+

For the Wesley So fans, and I am one of them, you would be interested to know that he finally adjusted to non-shuffle chess and woke up — he scored four wins four draws and one loss on the last day. At one point he won three in a row, and some of his games were pretty brutal.

So, Wesley (2760) — Caruana, Fabiano (2822) [A13]
Superbet Blitz 2019 Bucharest ROU (12.1), 10.11.2019

1.Nf3 d5 2.e3 Nf6 3.c4 e6 4.Nc3 Be7 5.b3 0–0 6.Bb2

Wesley So put out a CD on his “secret weapon” 1.b3. One player asked me about it, since he does not see Wesley play 1.b3 a lot. Well, this game is an example where he starts out with Nf3 but transposes to the 1.b3 line pretty soon.

6…c5 7.cxd5 Nxd5 8.Qb1 Nc6 9.h4 b6 10.Bb5 Qc7 11.h5 h6 12.Rh3 Bd7 13.Rg3 f6?

[13…Nf6]

14.Rxg7+! Kxg7 15.Qg6+ Kh8 16.Qxh6+ Kg8 17.Qg6+ Kh8 18.Bd3 f5 1–0

Black resigned before White could end him with Nxd5+

By the time you are reading this column the Kolkata Rapid/Blitz event would have started. Watch out for Wesley So there — he is due for another big performance.

 

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.

bobby@cpamd.net

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