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‘Greening’ the younger generation

THE recent monsoon rains that we have experienced easily resulted in severe flooding across Metro Manila and its neighboring provinces. Classes were suspended, business operations were interrupted, and the traffic situation was aggravated. While this may be “normal” for us during rainy season, the recent flooding was different as it did not require heavy rains to flood the streets.
One cause of the recent floods is the proliferation of plastic waste that clogs the city’s drainage system. While government is trying to remedy this perennial problem, it seems that these programs are ineffective.
We have witnessed rapid environmental degradation in the past years. According to Chen & Chai (2010), some of the causes are overconsumption and overuse of natural resources due to increased worldwide consumer demand. As a result, climate change and environmental problems, environmental protection, and sustainable development have become relevant issues in business and consumerism. Today, businesses and consumers confront their biggest challenge: to protect and to preserve the earth’s resources and the environment. This challenge has made “greening” an important issue for managers, marketers, and consumers.
People engage in environmental behavior to satisfy their desire to solve environmental problems, to become role models, and to feel they are helping to preserve the environment. According to Ishaswini and Datta (2011), the rising number of consumers who prefer and are willing to engage in environmental or green consumption is creating opportunities for businesses that use “green” as a component of their value propositions.
According to McEachern and McClean (2002), green consumerism includes environment preservation, curtailment of pollution, responsible use of non-renewable resources, and the welfare and preservation of animal species. Shamdasani et al. (1993) define environment-friendly or green products as those that can be recycled and processed, and do not pollute the earth or depreciate natural resources. A few examples of green products are energy-efficient light bulbs and products made of recycled or biodegradable materials.
In a local study I conducted this year, I compared the green purchase intentions of generation X, born between 1961 and 1981, and generation Y, born between 1982 and 2004 (Strauss, 2000). This study contributes to the debate about which generation has higher regard for protecting the environment. Among the variables tested were attitude toward green consumption; the subjective norm or the regard for green consumption among the groups who are important to us such as family and friends; perceived behavioral control or the resources that enable us to consume green products such as buying power and availability of green products in stores; and intention to buy green products. My findings revealed that both generations have similar levels of attitude toward green consumption and intention to purchase green products.
Interestingly, generation X registered a higher subjective norm than generation Y did. This implies that generation X faces more pressure from friends and relatives to buy green products. The results run contrary to global studies that revealed that generation Y has a higher subjective norm. This difference could be attributed to the changing orientation of younger Filipinos, who experience a strong force to uphold uniqueness and individualism.
The practical implication of these findings would be for businesses to adopt strategies to persuade generation Y, now the dominant consumers in the market, to support green initiatives. A unique selling approach integrating individualism and green consumption might drive this group to become more involved in the green revolution.
Hopefully, once generation Y becomes green consumers, their “greening” will have ripple effects on their general behavior and ultimately contribute to the protection of the environment. n
The views expressed above are the author’s and do not necessarily reflect the official position of De La Salle University and its faculty and administrators.
 
Reynaldo A. Bautista, Jr. is an associate professor at the Ramon V. Del Rosario College of Business of De La Salle University. He teaches Marketing Research, Methods of Research, and General Marketing.
reynaldo.bautista@dlsu.edu.ph

Three essential steps to becoming more authentic

By Raju Mandhyan
TALK about being authentic and, often you will hear this quote from Paulo Coelho: “We are in such a hurry to grow up, and then we long for our lost childhood. We make ourselves ill earning money, and then spend all our money on getting well again. We think so much about the future that we neglect the present, and thus experience neither the present nor the future. We live as if we were never going to die, and die as if we had never lived.”
Most all our lives, we desperately struggle to find ourselves. We strive to live, and live out our lives exactly the way we want to but end up creating and living in contradictions. It is not that in the deepest of our hearts we do not know what we want. We do, but adapting and adjusting to a demanding world we let our true selves get corroded, get covered with gunk.
Yet from deep within there is that being, that energy and that soul that yearns to fly, to go and grab a fistful of the sky and claim it as our own.
In the history of mankind there have been a few who have flown so high and so purely in the skies of their own choosing. And, there are almost all of us who for scores of times in our lives have dug a window through that corrosion and that gunk that surrounds and made our presence felt. We have, at times, lived out our dreams and desires loudly and boldly. The question that arises is how to increase the frequency of these liberating moments and sustain them so that at the end of our days we can feel that, hey, I am ready to die because I have lived a full, fruitful, and an authentic life.
Inspired by an interview I conducted of Dr. Peter Senge a few years ago, it struck me living an authentic life at work and in society when we:
Step Up: In all circumstances, especially the most challenging ones our options eventually get boiled down to just two. Should we take the well-treaded and safe path or should we step up and take the road less traveled. The roads less traveled, or the right decisions that will make us stand apart and away from others are always packed with risk but the person who steps up to the calling of his inner voice, scales up the mountains of authenticity. Yes, it takes courage to be authentic. Yes, it takes gumption to stand up, speak up and move towards what your heart, mind, and soul tell you are the right things to say and do.
Step In: Daniel Goleman in his book, Focus, talks about how a bunch of preachers-to-be on the road to take up tests in compassion and kindness totally ignore a homeless person on the street asking for help. In their case, it was probably about lack of awareness but often in life, we prefer to stay away from trouble that doesn’t belong to us. In a highly interconnected world most everything does, in a way, belong to us. The other day, someone sent me a video of some folks torching the tongue of street dog. The thought in my mind was why would someone take a video of that and not stop the carnage? Or, when we see others dumping toxic waste and plastic into our rivers why don’t we step in. Stepping in into murky situations, if our conscience calls for it, is the authentic thing to do.
Stand Tall: Dr. Peter Senge in that interview, available on YouTube, claims that the eye cannot see the eye. We don’t ever know what the objective reality is because our perceptions, our lenses towards the world are tinted with our biases, our own agendas. Some of these, surely, are unconscious but a large number of those stains on our glasses are of our own making and the cleaner our windows are to the world the better we see it and the taller and prouder we can walk. Coming from clarity and approaching situations conscientiously will allow us to be ourselves, walk and stand tall in a volatile, uncertain, changing and an ambiguous world. Said once my favorite childhood author, George Bernard Shaw, “Best keep yourself clean and bright; you are the window through which you see the world.”
Authenticity is not just honesty, it is not just being frank and outspoken but being authentic is being true to you inner calling moment after moment. It is about stepping up to challenges, stepping into situations where the right thing needs to be done and also keeping your values and your visions clean.
We live in a world that is constantly changing. We do not have to be the change because every breath we take, every idea we think about, every word we utter, and every action that we take creates change. We do not need to apply force neither do we need to use undue power. We just live out our life with authenticity and gentle influence.
 
Raju Mandhyan is an author, coach, and trainer.

PHL takes on Kazakhstan in Asiad hoops bid opener

By Michael Angelo S. Murillo, Senior Reporter
THE Philippine Basketball Association-powered national team competing at the 18th Asian Games in Indonesia gets its campaign going, taking on Kazakhstan in a preliminary game in Group D set for 11 a.m. (Manila time) at the Gelora Bung Karno Basketball Hall in Jakarta.
It will be the first of two matches in Group D for the Philippine team, which is backed by Smart Communications, Inc., where it hopes to emerge in the top two in the grouping to advance to the next round of the Games.
The Yeng Guiao-squad is also grouped with powerhouse China in Group D.
Making up the Philippine team is the core of the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters in the PBA and backstopped by players from other teams in the league.
The players are Maverick Ahanmisi, Chris Tiu, Gabe Norwood, James Yap, Beau Belga and Raymond Almazan of Rain or Shine, and Christian Standhardinger (San Miguel), Stanley Pringle (NorthPort), JP Erram (Blackwater), Paul Lee (Magnolia), and Asi Taulava (NLEX).
In a very last-minute development, Filipino-American National Basketball Association player Jordan Clarkson of the Cleveland Cavaliers was granted permission to play for the Philippines in the Asian Games by the NBA.
After initially thumbed down to play, the Association “reconsidered” its decision and granted the Philippines’ request for Mr. Clarkson to play for the country.
Mr. Clarkson, who takes the place of Don Trollano (TNT), is reportedly on his way to Indonesia to join the national team hopefully in time for today’s game.
HURRIED PREPARATIONS
The Philippine basketball team goes into the Asiad off hurried preparations after it was left with limited time to prepare on the late decision if the country was to send a team or not.
Originally shelved as the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas felt “the time and chance to participate in the 2018 Asian Games would not be optimal,” the federation reconsidered its decision, citing primarily the huge clamor from local basketball fans to have a team compete in the Games.
It made the announcement of the formation of the team on Aug. 5.
The interval in between decisions, however, left the national team with lesser time to assemble and prepare.
“We have limited time to prepare because of the delay that happened but that won’t stop us from giving our best. We have come up with this list of players because of familiarity. I have worked with the players of Rain or Shine while the others I have no problem working with them,” said Mr. Guiao of the mindset they have and the players who are part of the team.
Mr. Guiao, who is now coach of NLEX, used to handle Rain or Shine and led it two titles in the PBA.
CLARKSON FACTOR
With Mr. Clarkson joining the squad, the national team feels he can help its cause.
“That (Clarkson go-ahead) will be a big boost for us. He can definitely help us. I hope he is in shape. Well, I think even if he is not in shape he can still be a big help for us. He’s a big boost for basketball in the country being an NBA star wanting to play here. It says a lot about him as a person. I am looking forward to playing with him,” said Mr. Tiu in one of their practices before they left for Indonesia.
For today’s game, the Philippines is facing Kazakhstan, which finished fourth in the 2014 Asian Games in Incheon, South Korea.
Other groupings in the Asian Games have South Korea, Thailand, Mongolia and Indonesia in Group A; Iran, Syria and United Arab Emirates (Group B); and Qatar, Chinese Taipei, Japan and Hong Kong (Group C).
The Philippines-Kazakhstan match will be broadcast live over ESPN5.

National Basketball Association allows one-time exception for players seeing action in Asian Games

AFTER its policy on allowing its players to play in international tournaments was taken to task, the National Basketball Association (NBA) decided to grant a “one-time exception” for those seeing action in the 18th Asian Games in Indonesia.
In statement released to local media on Wednesday, the NBA, citing “a lack of a clear communication” of an agreement with the parties involved, said it had decided to give special exception from its existing policy in lending its players.
The action opened the doors for Cleveland Cavaliers guard Jordan Clarkson and Houston Rockets center Zhou Qi and Dallas Mavericks forward Ding Yanyuhang to represent the Philippines and China, respectively, in the event which is already under way in Jakarta.
“The NBA’s agreement with FIBA (world basketball governing body) stipulates that NBA players can participate in the Olympics, the FIBA Basketball World Cup, Continental Cup competitions and associated qualifying tournaments. Because the Asian Games are not one of those competitions, NBA players under contract are unable to participate,” the NBA statement read.
“However, due to a lack of clear communication of that agreement between the NBA and the Chinese and Philippines Basketball Federations, and after further discussions with both Federations, the NBA has agreed to provide this one-time exception,” it added.
The announcement came on the heels of the NBA coming under fire, especially from Filipino sports officials and fans, after it initially turned down the request to have Mr. Clarkson join the Philippine team.
The same policy was raised by the NBA in its first ruling on the case of Mr. Clarkson but left the policy open for questioning as it could not explain why Messrs, Zhou and Ding were allowed to play for China.
Mr. Clarkson is set to join the Philippine Basketball Association-powered national team, hopefully in time for its first game in Group D against Kazakhstan today.
The Philippines and China, meanwhile, collide on Aug. 21. — Michael Angelo S. Murillo

Tennis world to vote on Davis Cup shakedown

LOS ANGELES — The most radical overhaul in the 118-year history of the Davis Cup could be given the green light on Thursday as the tennis world gathers in Florida to vote on sweeping reforms which have divided the sport.
Around 120 delegates at the International Tennis Federation’s annual meeting in Orlando will decide whether proposals by federation chief David Haggerty are to be given the go-ahead.
Haggerty’s plan will see the Davis Cup’s sprawling existing format, stretched across the calendar year and played in all corners of the globe, condensed into a season-ending 18-nation event played at a single, neutral venue.
Haggerty told AFP in a conference call on Tuesday that the overhaul would boost the ITF’s ability to spread development funding across the globe, pumping around $25 million back into the sport.
“The ITF is the only organization that puts money into the development of the game,” Haggerty said. “And that’s what this project enables us to do. The money that we make will be put back to the nations for their development programs and the future of tennis.”
The reforms have the backing of a $3 billion partnership from the Kosmos investment group, founded by Barcelona football star Gerard Pique and supported by Japanese billionaire Hiroshi Mikitani.
The ITF maintains the new-look Davis Cup would boost the profile of the tournament, which was first held in 1900 when the United States defeated Britain at the Longwood Cricket Club in Boston, Massachusetts.
Under the new proposed format, 18 teams would play in the Davis Cup finale, split into six groups of three teams. Six group winners and two runners-up would then advance to knockout rounds.
Unlike current Davis Cup ties, which comprise four singles and one doubles, ties would feature only two singles and a doubles game.
Federation chiefs say the revamped competition would effectively create a fifth Grand Slam event, increase prize money and allow the Davis Cup to attract top players by freeing up space on the calendar.
Yet the changes have appalled some of the greatest names ever to grace the competition.
Past Australian Davis Cup captains and players including Rod Laver, John Newcombe and Lleyton Hewitt were united in condemning the proposed overhaul.
‘DEATH OF DAVIS CUP’
Newcombe, a five-time champion as a player, described the overhaul as “a recipe for the death of the Davis Cup as we know it.”
“The Davis Cup is 118 years old and was the forerunner that made tennis into an international sport,” Newcombe said.
Hewitt disparaged the changes as little more than a “money grab” which ignored the tournament’s history.
Haggerty however said Tuesday that while “change is difficult sometimes,” he had been encouraged by positive feedback from delegates in Florida this week.
“The mood is good. The reception has been very positive,” he said. “We just want to do the right thing for tennis…The new model allows the ITF to fulfil the mission in a much better way.
“Having more resources to put behind the development of tennis is the most important thing for an international federation.”
The overhaul has also won support from Serbian star Novak Djokovic.
The 13-time Grand Slam winner believes a change in format is long overdue.
“I think that format needs to be changed. And I’m all in favor of that,” Djokovic said in Toronto last week.
“You play one year, and then the next year you don’t play. It’s just the scheduling of this kind of format so far has been pretty bad.”
The Davis Cup reforms require two-thirds majority support from ITF delegates in Orlando on Thursday.
If successful, the new format would be launched in November of 2019, with Europe guaranteed to host the first two editions of the new-look event.
One complication however could well be the introduction of a revamped World Team Cup due to take place in Australia in the first week of 2020.
The tournament, which has the backing of the ATP and Tennis Australia, will feature 24 teams and offer prize money and rankings points.
ATP executive chairman Chris Kermode has acknowledged the problems of staging the new event just six weeks after the proposed Davis Cup, describing the scheduling as “insane.” — AFP

San Beda, San Sebastian on collision course today

By Michael Angelo S. Murillo, Senior Reporter
NATIONAL Collegiate Athletic Association rivals San Beda Red Lions and San Sebastian Stags collide for the first time in Season 94 today in a scheduled matchup at 4 p.m. at the FilOil Flying V Centre in San Juan City.
Currently charting contrasting paths early in the tournament, the defending champions Lions (5-0) look to stay unbeaten in the first round with a sixth straight victory while the Stags (3-5) shoot for consistency in winning as they try to make their way up the pecking order.
San Beda is coming off a narrow 80-76 victory over the Letran Knights on Aug. 10 where it relied on the all-around game of veteran Robert Bolick and clutch shooting of AC Soberano to hack out the dig-deep victory.
Bolick found multiple ways to elude Letran’s defense all game long en route to finishing with 20 points, 11 rebounds, and six assists while Soberano came up big in extra time, hitting two booming triples in overtime to help the reigning back-to-back champions in their cause.
“Credit to the players for stepping up in this game to get this tough win,” said San Beda coach Boyet Fernandez following their win.
San Sebastian, for its part, is fresh from a tough 78-76 loss at the hands of season hosts Perpetual Help Altas at the latter’s home in Las Piñas on Aug. 9.
With the score knotted at 76-all with 3.3 seconds remaining, the Stags saw the game slip away from their hands when the Altas scored a game-winning basket care off Prince Eze with half a second remaining.
It completed for Perpetual Help a charge back from as much as 21 points down and spoiled for San Sebastian an opportunity to win back-to-back games.
Preceding the San Beda-San Sebastian match is the battle between Perpetual Help (4-2) and Mapua Cardinals (2-5) at 2 p.m.

Special Asian Games emojis available on Twitter

FANS following the goings-on in the Asian Games in Indonesia will have their experience enhanced with the special emojis that Twitter has come out with.
In celebration of the biggest sport event in Asia, which officially kicks off on Aug. 18, Twitter has decided to launch three special emojis in the shape of: the official Asian Games logo, a torch that symbolizes the energy of Asia, and the three mascots — Bhin Bhin, Atung, and Kaka — that reflect Indonesia’s diversity with three animals, each from different regions in the country.
The emojis are available until October and will appear when the hashtags #AsianGames2018 and #AG2018 (the official Asian Games logo), #AsianGames and #18thAsianGames (three mascots), and #EnergyOfAsia (torch) are used in Tweets.
In the Asian Games in Indonesia, the Philippine campaign is set to be bannered by 272 athletes competing in 35 categories.
Filipinos throwing their support to the Philippine athletes can do it via Twitter by using the hashtags #LabanAtletangPilipino and #TeamPHIsaAsianGames2018. — Michael Angelo S. Murillo

Federer opens with win over Gojowczyk; Kvitova ousts Serena

CINCINNATI — Roger Federer began his US Open preparation with a quick 6-4, 6-4 defeat of Peter Gojowczyk in his first ATP Cincinnati Masters appearance since 2015.
The 20-time Grand Slam champion, who turned 37 last week, is pacing his tennis year, playing a limited schedule and skipping events when he feels the need to rest.
He has missed the last two editions of this tournament because of injury.
Eighth seeded Petra Kvitova used her precision serve to overpower Serena Williams 6-3, 2-6, 6-3 in their second round match on Tuesday night.
Federer’s defeat of the 47th-ranked German in 72 minutes marked his first step towards a possible eighth title at the tournament.
The contest was the first for the Swiss since losing to Kevin Anderson in five sets in the Wimbledon quarter-finals on July 11.
Eighth seed Dominic Thiem was forced to withdraw without hitting a ball. He was from a virus.
The Austrian played just one losing match last week in Toronto on the hardcourts since making a late switch from post-Wimbledon clay.
Nick Kyrgios served 39 aces, including one to save match point, to power into the second round with a dramatic 6-7 (2/7), 7-5, 7-6 (11/9) win over Denis Kudla.
Last year’s losing finalist finally saw off the American on his sixth match point.
The Australian will next face Croatian Borna Coric, who beat Daniil Medvedev 6-2, 6-3.
Weekend Toronto finalist Stefanos Tsitsipas tired late in a 7-5, 6-3 loss to Belgian 11th seed David Goffin.
South Korea’s Chung Hyeon rallied past a struggling Jack Sock for a 2-6, 6-1, 6-2 victory.
Chung handed the slumping American an eighth straight defeat, with Sock’s last win coming in the opening round at Rome three months ago.
Unseeded Milos Raonic advanced past Serb Dusan Lajovic 6-3, 6-3 at the combined ATP and WTA event, the last major tune-up prior to the US Open on August 27.
In the women’s draw, the second set of the Kvitova-Williams contest was significant for Williams because it was her first set win this season against a top 10 opponent.
OUT OF GAS
The 23-time Grand Slam champion won her first round match over Daria Gavrilova in straight sets, 6-1, 6-2, on Monday, but appeared to run out of gas in the third set against Kvitova.
Just two weeks ago, Williams suffered the worst defeat of her career in San Jose when she was crushed 6-1, 6-0 in 51 minutes by world No. 39 Johanna Konta.
“I’m still at the very beginning. You know, this is a long comeback. I just began. Definitely at the very, very beginning,” Williams said. “I’m getting there, and I’m going to just continue to work hard, and hopefully I’ll start winning more matches.”
Czech ninth seed Karolina Pliskova made a personal breakthrough as she beat Agnieszka Radwanska for the first time after seven previous straight-sets losses to the Pole, winning 6-3, 6-3.
“It was a tough round for me because I’ve never beaten her, never even taken a set,” said Pliskova. “I was so happy when I won the first set because I thought, ‘Finally, one set for me.’”
Australian 16th seed Ashleigh Barty defeated Czech teenager Marketa Vondrousova 6-3, 7-5, while 14th-ranked Elise Mertens topped Magdalena Rybarikova 6-4, 6-2. — AFP

GM Gonzales, WGM Frayna and IM Miciano turn back respective foes

GRANDMASTER (GM) Jayson Gonzales destroyed Anusha Narava Lakshmi of India to re-enter the top 10 even as Woman GM Janelle Mae Frayna and International Master (IM) John Marvin Miciano turned back their respective foes to stay in the hunt after six rounds of the Burgse Meesters in Burges, Belgium Tuesday night.
Gonzales, who drew with FIDE Master Georgi Tomov of Bulgaria in the fifth round early in the day, thus hiked his total to 4.5 points, which was good for a place in the 13-player logjam at seventh spot or a full point behind solo leader GM Wan Yunguo of China.
The 49-year-old Gonzales was playing top seed GM Nikolov Momchil of Russia in the seventh round at press time.
Frayna, 22, bounced back from a fifth-round defeat to Dutch IM Lucas Van Foreest with a sixth-round win over German Maximilian Ponomarev while Miciano, 17, blasted Belgians Guillaume Chauvon and Nando De Blende to barge into the top 20 with four points each.
Frayna, whose trip here is backed by the Philippine Sports Commission and The Philippine STAR president and chief executive officer Miguel Belmonte, and Miciano hope to move further the standings with wins over Belgium’s Gert Van Vooren and Sweden’s Joachim Bergre, respectively.

22nd Hogeschool Zeeland Tournament

 

22nd Hogeschool Zeeland
Tournament
Vlissingen, the Netherlands
August 4-11, 2018

Final Top Standings
1-3. GM Sandro Mareco ARG 2643, GM Eduard Iturrizaga Bonelli VEN 2640, GM Roeland Pruijssers NED 2606, 7.5/9
4-10. GM Wan Yunguo CHN 2500, GM Vyacheslav Ikonnikov RUS 2546, GM Zeng Chongsheng CHN 2539, IM T homas Beerdsen NED 2469, GM Daniel Hausrath GER 2502, GM Sandipan Chanda IND 2553, IM Liam Vrolijk NED 2430, 7.0/911-20 IM Antonio Dcunha Viani IND 2414, IM John Marvin Miciano PHI 2381, GM Jorden Van Foreest NED 2636, GM Jayson Gonzales PHI 2383, IM Max Warmerdam NED 2421, IM Casper Schoppen NED 2394, IM Migchiel De Jong NED 2339, GM Oleg Romanishin UKR 2441, FM Sief Rijnaarts NED 2339, IM Mark Timmermans NED 2383, 6.5/9
Total Participants: 242
Time Control: 90 minutes for 40 moves followed by 30 minutes to the end of the game with 30 seconds added to your time after every move starting move 1.
The Hogeschool Zeeland Tournament (or HZ Tournament) is an annual international chess tournament which takes place in Vlissingen, the Netherlands. It is hosted by the HZ University of Applied Sciences.
The triumvirate of Argentinian GM Sandro Mareco, Venezuelan GM Eduard Iturrizaga and home crowd favorite GM Roeland Pruijssers finished in a tie for first place. All three of them were undefeated with six wins and three draws but after the application of tie-breaks it was GM Sandro Mareco who got the nod.
GM Sandro is one of the most active players in the world and has been playing continuously this year, always finishing high in the tournament table. Last March he won the 8th HD Bank Cup (the biggest international tournament in Vietnam) in Hanoi, Vietnam and this is his second big win.
Remember GM Aleksander Wojtkiewicz (b. Jan 15, 1963, d. July 14, 2006)? He was a frequent visitor to the Philippines. The last 8 years of his life was spent in the United States and he spent those years playing continuously. He won or tied for first place in more than 240 tournaments, averaging over 30 tournament victories a year — or nearly three per month making him arguably the most successful tournament player in the United States.
You will note though that “Wojo’s” highest rating ever was 2595 and he was never considered among the top players of the world, so how did he achieve so much success? Well, he had a “system” for winning chess tournaments and oftentimes would be on auto-pilot for the whole game. And this “system” was anchored around the Catalan.
If you want to know more about his “system” you should go and buy the series of books on “Wojo’s Weapons” by Jonathan Hilton.
Anyway, perhaps one player who has been over those books is GM Sandro Mareco. His main weapon for White is the Catalan Opening with 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 d5 4.g3 and with it he has scored 75% in his career.
Here is one of them.

Mareco,Sandro (2643) —
Beerdsen,Thomas (2469) [A14]
22nd Hogeschool Zeeland 2018
Vlissingen (4), 06.08.2018

1.Nf3 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.g3 d5 4.Bg2 Be7 5.0–0 0–0 6.b3 c6 7.e3 Nbd7 8.Bb2 b6 9.Nc3 Bb7 10.Qe2 e5 11.d4 e4 12.Nh4 Re8
From this quiet position Mareco builds up a strong attack down the f-file.]
13.f3 exf3 14.Qxf3
Intending e3–e4.
14…Bb4 15.Nd1 Rb8 16.g4
This time threatening g4–g5.
16…h6 17.Nf5 Bf8 18.Nf2
White will follow-up with Ng3 and then e3–e4.
18…c5 19.Rad1 g6
[19…dxc4 20.d5 cxb3 21.axb3 g6 22.Ng3 does not accomplish anything. Black is temporarily a pawn up but the pressure down the a1–h8 diagonal, the f-file, and the possibility of a central pawn advance with e3–e4–e5 give White more than enough compensation]
20.Ng3 cxd4 21.Bxd4 Qe7
[21…dxc4 22.Nfe4 the hidden attack along the f-file aimed at f7 is problematic for Black]
22.cxd5 Nxd5 23.Nfe4 Bg7 24.Bxg7 Kxg7
POSITION AFTER 24…KXG7
25.Nd6! Qxd6
With perfect hindsight Black should have just given up the exchange with 25…Ne5.
26.Qxf7+ Kh8
Black is counting on the counterblow …Ne5.
27.Bxd5 Ne5 28.Qf4! Bxd5
Black doesn’t see Mareco’s threat.
29.Qxh6+ Kg8 30.Nh5! 1–0
Threatening mate on g7 and Nf6+
Those knight moves to the side of the board are easy to miss, because they are usually bad (“a knight on the rim is dim”, remember?). Brings back memories of the Philippines vs Argentina match in 2000 Istanbul.

Hoffman,Alejandro (2491) —
Villamayor,Bong (2495) [A07]
34th Olympiad Istanbul TUR (13),
10.11.2000

The crucial 13th round, and this was the opponent Bong wanted to meet — he had a score to settle with Hoffman. Remember the sensational performance of Bong in the 1998 Elista Olympiad? And how his quest for an outright IM title was jeopardized by a 7th round loss to an Argentinian opponent? It was Hoffman.
1.Nf3 Nf6 2.g3 d5 3.Bg2 c6 4.0–0 Bf5 5.d3 e6 6.Nfd2 e5 7.e4 dxe4 8.dxe4 Bg4 9.Qe1 Nbd7 10.h3 Bh5 11.a4 Be7 12.Nc4 0–0 13.b3 Qc7 14.Bb2 Rfe8 15.Nbd2 b5 16.Ne3 a6 17.Nf5 Bf8
Most people would have preferred 17…Bc5. I don’t know why Black chose to retreat the bishop.
18.Kh1 Nc5 19.Qe3 Rad8
Both sides were expending huge chunks of time at this point — Black to find a way to increase his slight advantage, White to counter.
20.Bc3 Qb8 21.axb5 axb5 22.g4 Bg6 23.Rfd1 Bxf5 24.gxf5 Ncd7?!
This has a nice idea, to post his bishop on c5, but Black does not take into consideration Hoffman’s bishop sally. Perhaps more accurate would be 24…Nb7 with the same idea, and the knight can go to d6 later on.
25.Ba5! Bc5 26.Qe2 Rc8 27.b4 Bf8 28.Bf1
Obviously intending to follow-up with c2–c4, targeting Black’s b-pawn
28…Nb6 29.c4 Na4
Both players had less than five minutes to make the mandatory 40 move time control. True, there were 30 seconds increment added after every move, but still the atmosphere was becoming very tense.
30.Rdc1
A mistake is 30.cxb5? Nc3 31.Qd3 Nxd1 32.Rxd1 cxb5. After the text move White’s clever play has shut out one of Bong’s knights from the center and weakened the b5–pawn — how is Bong going to save it now?
30…Qd6 31.Nf3
[31.cxb5 cxb5 32.Qxb5?? Rxc1 33.Rxc1 Qxd2 wins for Black.]
31…g6 32.fxg6 hxg6 33.Ra3
[33.cxb5? cxb5 34.Qxb5 Nc3 35.Qd3 Nfxe4]
33…Qe6 34.Ng5 Qe7 35.cxb5
Finally.
35…cxb5 36.Rxc8 Rxc8 37.Qxb5 Nc3?
A mistake, the refutation of which is 38.Qa6 Nb1 39.Rf3! And White is winning. The panic time conditions under which both players were under pressure Hoffman into a bad mistake.
38.Qd3
And the knight is trapped, or so White thought. In reality there is a deep plan by Bong here.
38…Nh5 39.Nf3 Nf4 40.Qc2
This was the last move Hoffman had to make to reach the time control. He was fully confident of winning the knight, and he showed this by smoothly sliding over his queen to c2. Now, with 4 seconds remaining, Bong uncorks …
40…Qa7!
White is confident that he had taken into consideration all the tactics in the position. With a contented look on his face GM Hoffman got up to fetch a cup of coffee, chat with his team captain. When he went back to the board the following moves came rapidly.
41.Rxc3 Rxc3 42.Qxc3 Qxf2 43.Nh2
He smiled at Bong, thinking that Black had no alternative but to resign here, but now comes …
43…Nh5! 0–1
After which Hoffman lets out an “augh!,” his jaw drops, and then he resigns with a violent shaking of head. He has to give up the queen to prevent mate. His comment at the end of the game says it all: “I had no idea …”
Next week Tuesday we will write about our European campaigners (IM John Marvin Miciano, GM Jayson Gonzales and WGM Janelle Mae Frayna) and how they did in Vlissingen.
 
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 for 25 years and is currently Chief Audit Executive of the Equicom Group of Companies.
bobby@cpamd.net

Woods now at peace

LAST week’s broadcast ratings are out, and, as expected, the final round of the PGA Championship got a major — pun wholly intended — boost when Tiger Woods played himself into contention and became the prime focus of CBS’ Sunday coverage of the final Grand Slam event of the year. Even as the rock-star atmosphere he engendered at Bellerive highlighted his pull among the sport’s avid followers, the myriad eyeballs he attracted on the small screen served as proof of his unparalleled crossover appeal.
Certainly, there was a definite charm to seeing the best player of the previous decade, and perhaps of all time, contend in a premier stop when, not too long ago, he wasn’t physically able to swing a club. And, to be sure, his questionable fitness as a surgical veteran wound up to be just one hurdle. The other, and likely more significant, involved his recovery from one public humiliation after another. Between his exposure as a serial adulterer and as an apparent painkiller dependent, he had to endure a fall from grace unlike any other athlete with his sterling resume.
That Woods just reminded longtime habitues of the wonders he could do on the course and, more importantly, endeared himself to casual observers in a way he never did before his challenges in life. From his trials emerged a more sympathetic figure, humbled and intent on not merely restoring the luster on a name once synonymous to dominance, but on cementing a legacy with a human touch.
Indeed, the Woods that came close at the British Open and finished second at the PGA Championship was far easier to cheer for and empathize with. In his early march towards greatness, he witnessed respect. In his frailties of late, he found adulation. Only time will tell whether he can generate both from a new swath of followers, but it’s clear that he’s already at peace no matter what happens.
 
Anthony L. Cuaycong has been writing Courtside since BusinessWorld introduced a Sports section in 1994.

Traveloka rounds up the 75 best hotels in the Philippines

When it comes to traveling, one of the biggest and perhaps most difficult decisions you have to make is picking a hotel. Apart from budget considerations, you also have to check if the place is clean, safe, and has access to necessities like water and dining options. This might take a while, especially if you’re meticulous. The wide array of accommodations available might also add to the challenge of honing in on that one hotel that meets all your requirements.
For those with a limited budget, the difficulty usually stems from finding an affordable place that also isn’t “kuripot” or worse, has substandard facilities. For those who can splurge a bit more, the problem may lie in the service; there are establishments that have a five-star rating but have poor customer reviews.
To help make things easier for travelers, online flight and hotel booking platform Traveloka has compiled a list of the top hotels in 26 tourist destinations in the Philippines. The list includes three hotels per destination: budget (up to P2,000/night), midrange (up to P5,000/night), and luxury (P5,000 above/night).
The round-up includes hotels in locations like Baguio, Subic,Tagaytay, Makati, Manila, Cebu,Boracay, Iloilo, Coron, Vigan, Davao, Panglao Island, and 14 other tourist hotspots in the country. Places like New Orleans Auberge Hotel in Tagaytay and Lub d Philippines in Makati are listed in the budget hotel category; Montebello Villa in Cebu and Best Western Plus in Subic are in the midrange category; and South Palms Resort in Panglao Island and Richmonde Hotel in Iloilo are in the luxury category.
Traveloka crafted the list based on the popularity of the destinations, price points, and customer reviews. The last one is especially important because Traveloka wants to ensure that every traveler experiences only the best, from the beginning until the end of their trip.
Have you finally decided where your next trip is going to be? Let Traveloka help you have an enjoyable and hassle-free vacation! Visit https://www.traveloka.com/en-ph/hotel and book your hotel today.

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