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Japan-backed rail institute to rise on site of subway depot

THE Japan-backed Philippine Railway Institute (PRI), which is intended to develop railway managers and technical workers, will rise on the site of the Metro Manila Subway depot in Valenzuela City, the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) said in a statement.

JICA said Wednesday it signed the record of discussions with the Department of Transportation to establish the PRI, which will become the first professional body for training railway workers. It will also conduct research on the country’s railway system.

“JICA welcomes the opportunity to assist the Philippines in promoting seamless mobility and sustainable development that will benefit many Filipinos. Through this project with DoTr, Japanese experts can help train personnel and develop curriculum on railway operations and management,” JICA Senior Representative Tetsuya Yamada said in a statement.

The agreement to set up the institute covers the period between April 2018 and March 2023. Activities include the dispatch of 26 experts from Japan. The transportation department will also tap the Technical Education and Skills Authority and railway operators to develop the curriculum and train instructors at the PRI.

Prior to the signing of the deal, Transportation Secretary Arthur P. Tugade led a delegation to the Tokyo Metro’s training center. JICA described the facility as “one of the most sophisticated human resource development centers for Japan’s railway sector.”

The Metro Manila subway project is also JICA-backed, funded by official development assistance (ODA). It is due to start construction by the third quarter of 2018.

Apart from the subway project, JICA is also extending a loan to the Philippines from the development of the $2-billion North-South Commuter Railway Project, which consists of an elevated runway that will connect Malolos, Bulacan, and Tutuban, Manila.

JICA has assisted the Philippine government in improving its institutional capacity, starting with the Philippine Rice Research Institute in the 1960s. The group has also helped build the Philippine Coast Guard, the National Maritime Polytechnic Training Center, University of the Philippines Information Technology Development Center, and the National Center for Transportation Studies. — Arra B. Francia

Disaster-response projects receive P191M in DoF funding

THE government has released nearly P200 million to four local government units (LGUs) looking to implement disaster mitigation programs, with more projects expected to be approved towards boosting climate change adaptation in the country.

The Department of Finance (DoF) yesterday turned over P191.746 million to four towns and cities, charged against the P1-billion People’s Survival Fund (PSF) meant to finance programs for disaster risk mitigation and response.

Finance Secretary Carlos G. Dominguez III, who sits as chairman of the PSF Board, turned over checks worth P39.048 million for Lanuza, Surigao del Sur; P80.706 million for Del Carmen on Siargao Island, Surigao del Norte; P33.892 million for San Francisco, Camotes Island, Cebu; and P38.1 million for Gerona, Tarlac.

These projects are the first to be financed by the PSF, which provides grants for climate change mitigation initiatives. The LGUs will provide counterpart funding totaling P41.014 million, bringing the total amount to P232.759 million.

The PSF can be tapped to finance infrastructure and information programs specifically meant for climate change adaptation measures, which include flood control systems, watersheds, forest managements, as well as capacity-building initiatives for LGUs.

“The People’s Survival Fund was set up to help improve the ability of our communities to cope with the consequences of climate change. Although the fund may not be enough to meet all our needs, it is a far-sighted initiative to help reduce disaster risks and improve the resilience of our communities,” Mr. Dominguez said during the turnover ceremony at the DoF headquarters yesterday.

National Treasurer Rosalia V. de Leon said separately that nine other projects are in the pipeline for funding, which are worth P979.689 million. Decisions on these proposals — which cover ecosystem improvement, coastal resources management and disaster risk management capacity building — are expected by June.

If approved, the grants will be sourced from the remaining P1-billion PSF allocation under the 2016 national budget.

Republic Act 10174 signed in 2012 created the PSF, which sets a P1-billion floor for annual funding for the program. Congress may raise its allocation via the annual budget of the national government.

The Philippines is one of 20 countries considered most vulnerable to the impact of natural disasters and climate change. The DoF earlier said that more than 1,000 deaths occur yearly in the Philippines due to natural calamities, with typhoons accounting for 74% of lives lost, 62% of damage to property, and 70% of damage to agriculture. — Melissa Luz T. Lopez

EFTA deal seen generating more investment

THE Department of Trade and Industry is expecting more inbound investment after the Senate on Monday ratified a trade deal with the four-country European Free Trade Association (EFTA).

In a statement on Wednesday, Trade Secretary Ramon M. Lopez said the agreement means duty-free market access of goods and services between the Philippines and the four EFTA members: Iceland, Leichtenstein, Norway and Switzerland.

“While there’s a large potential to expand our trade and investment relations with EFTA, the FTA (free trade agreement) also capitalizes on it since trade goods between the Philippines and EFTA are non-competing,” he added.

“With this ratification, the Philippines will benefit from expanded trade engagement with non-EU (European Union) members even as it gives us greater access to the European market,” Mr. Lopez said.

The Philippines currently enjoys preferential trade as recipient of the Generalized Scheme of Preferences plus from the EU which grants reduced to zero tariffs on more than 6,000 types of goods.

The FTA is expected to bring in more investments on finance renewable energy, information technology and business process management, construction and environmental services, and maritime transport.

This will also mean easier entry for Filipino workers into EFTA countries, especially for executives, managers and specialists seconded by their companies, business visitors, and contractual services suppliers, among others.

EFTA is thought to be interested in Philippine products such as desiccated coconut, prepared or preserved pineapple, and raw cane sugar.

On the other hand, the EFTA countries can enjoy duty-free entry into the Philippines of their fruit products, aerated and mineral water products, prepared food, chocolate, cheese and wine.

The EFTA free trade deal takes effect three months after the Philippines and at least one EFTA member ratifies the agreement.

The Philippines has an active FTA with Japan. — Anna Gabriela A. Mogato

Revisiting the privacy requirements

People, especially the youth, are said to measure their worth based on the number of likes that they get from their posts on social media. It has come to a point that they are willing to post just about anything to get a thumbs-up. Since the scope of what people post about is vast, it is quite difficult to delineate what can be shared with the rest of the world and what should remain private.

To avoid regret and harm, we should think more than twice before sharing any information whether online or through any other medium. Our decisions in sharing and managing our personal information may be guided by the Data Privacy Act of 2012 (DPA).

While the DPA was enacted on Aug. 15, 2012, its Implementing Rules and Regulations were issued only four years later, on Aug. 24, 2016.

Thereafter, there have been a number of additional issuances and guidelines from the National Privacy Commission (NPC), the independent government body mandated to administer and to monitor compliance with the DPA.

The DPA covers all personal data from which the identity of an individual can directly or reasonably be ascertained. Under the Act, the personal information controller (PIC), a natural or juridical person who controls the processing of the personal data, and the personal information processor (PIP), a natural or juridical person to whom the processing of the personal data has been outsourced, are obligated to uphold and protect the rights of the data subjects, whose personal data are being processed. Subject to the limitations provided under the DPA, the rights of the data subjects and the obligations of the PIC and PIP arise from the collection of the personal data, including its processing, storage, retention, distribution, and until its proper disposal.

The rights of the data subjects include the right to be informed about the use of personal data, the right to object the use of such data, the right to access information pertaining to his data, the right to withdraw or order the destruction of personal data and the right to file a complaint in case of violations of rights under the DPA.

On the other hand, the PICs and PIPs are required to register their systems with the NPC, appoint a data protection officer (DPO), conduct a privacy impact assessment, create a privacy management program, implement the privacy and protection measures, and exercise breach reporting procedures. The registration of the PICs and PIPs, as well as their respective DPOs should have been done by Sept. 9, 2017. On the other hand, the extended deadline for the registration of the data systems is today, March 8, while the first annual report on whether or not there has been a breach in data privacy last year is due on March 31.

From the seminars being conducted by the NPC, all PICs and PIPs are required to comply with the DPA. In terms of registration with the NPC, those PICs and PIPs with less than 250 persons/employees shall not be required to register except in the following cases: a) the processing they carry out will likely pose a risk to the rights and freedom of the data subjects, b) the processing is not occasional, or c) the processing includes sensitive personal information of at least 1,000 individuals. Notwithstanding, NPC encourages voluntary registration of PICs and PIPs even if they meet the qualifications for non-registration.

While there is no deadline for the other requirements, namely: compliance with the privacy impact assessment, privacy management program, privacy and protection measures, and breach reporting procedures, these should all be readily available during an audit of the NPC. Non-compliance with the foregoing requirements could expose the PICs and PIPs to risk of breach and violation of the DPA.

The NPC may subject the violators to sanctions, which include enforcement orders, cease and desist orders, damages to be awarded to the affected data subject, and administrative fines. The worst possible sanction is a recommendation for criminal prosecution, which entails imprisonment of 6 months to 7 years and fines in the amount of P500,000 to P5,000,000, depending on the violation committed.

Thus, even after the deadlines, the PICs and PIPs should be cautious with the DPA requirements as non-compliance not only puts them at risk of paying steep penalties, but more seriously, introduces the possibility of criminal liability for breach of safety of their data subjects.

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.

 

Maria Ysidra May Y. Kintanar-Lopez is a Manager at the Tax Services Department of Isla Lipana & Co., the Philippine member firm of the PwC network.

Barangay Ginebra Kings clinch semifinal berth

By Michael Angelo S. Murillo
Senior Reporter

THE Barangay Ginebra San Miguel Kings booked their place in the semifinals of the PBA Philippine Cup after completing a sweep of the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters in their best-of-three quarterfinal series with a 99-91 win in Game Two yesterday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

Faced a resilient challenge from Rain or Shine, which was seeking to force a sudden-death match, Barangay Ginebra stayed the course, coming up with answers at every key juncture of the contest to frustrate its opponent and advance to the semifinal round of season-opening Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) tournament.

The two teams had it nip-and-tuck to start the game until Scottie Thompson and Kevin Ferrer led a Kings sprint with two minutes remaining in the first quarter to take a 29-18 lead after the opening 12 minutes.

In the second quarter Rain or Shine would find its form as a group, trimming their deficit to just three points, 41-38, at the 4:19 mark and eventually seizing the lead altogether by the halftime break, 46-43.

Barangay Ginebra got off to a good start in the third canto as LA Tenorio and Japeth Aguilar started to assert themselves on offense.

It got to overtake Rain or Shine, 55-53, after four minutes in the quarter, and then extended it to a seven-point cushion, 67-60, by the 4:03 mark.

The Elasto Painters continued to fight back, cutting down their deficit to three points, 73-70, after an Ed Daquioag triple.

But four straight points by the Kings after gave them some distance before settling for a five-point separation, 77-72, heading into the final canto.

Potentially down to their last 12 minutes in the Philippine Cup, the Elasto Painters came out charging to start the payoff quarter, going on a 5-2 run in the first two minutes to come within one point, 79-78.

Mr. Aguilar though would cut Rain or Shine’s momentum as he took command for Barangay Ginebra and pulled his team to an 87-81 advantage two minutes later.

Raymond Almazan led a counter assault by the Elasto Painter with five straight points of his own to move a solitary point away anew from the Kings, 87-86, with five minutes to go.

Barangay Ginebra continued to hold off Rain or Shine thereafter, taking a 94-89 lead entering the final two minutes.

Mr. Aguilar extended their lead, 96-89, with a jumper from midrange with 55 ticks left on the clock.

The Elasto Painters trimmed their deficit to five points, 96-91, six seconds later but they would not go nearer than that as the Kings held on for the win.

Mr. Aguilar had a monster double-double of 27 points and 12 rebounds for the Kings with Jervy Cruz coming off the bench to add 18 points.

Mr. Tenorio had 17 markers while Joe Devance and Sol Mercado had 10 each.

Maverick Ahanmisi paced Rain or Shine with 18 points with Messrs. Almazan and Daquioag adding 14 points apiece.

“I’m proud of the team and my teammates for this win. Coach Tim [Cone] told us at the beginning of the game that closing out a series is difficult and it will require tremendous effort. The entire team stepped up and we won,” Mr. Aguilar said after their win.

Barangay Ginebra, with the win, set up a date with the defending champions San Miguel Beermen in a best-of-seven semifinal series.

UAAP: UE Lady Warriors make it 2 wins in a row

By Michael Angelo S. Murillo
Senior Reporter

THE University of the East (UE) Lady Warriors emerged victorious for the second straight time in UAAP Season 80 after hacking out an impressive four-set victory over the University of Santo Tomas (UST) Golden Tigresses, 25-23, 18-25, 28-26 and 26-24, yesterday at the start of second-round women’s volleyball elimination play at the FilOil Flying V Centre.

Banking on solid floor defense and showing tremendous grit all throughout the match, the Lady Warriors are back-to-back winners anew in the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) after a long time while adding to the woes of the Tigresses, who have now lost four consecutive games.

Momentum swung left and right in the opening set with the two teams in a tight slug fest by the second technical timeout, 16-15, with UST ahead.

League-leading scorer Sisi Rondina then would wax hot with her attacks to give the Tigresses further room, 19-15.

But just when UST was seemingly on its way to close out the frame, UE steadily clawed its way back, tying the count at 21-all and overcoming a 23-21 deficit thereafter to claim the first set.

Knowing that they allowed the Lady Warriors to pull one from under them, the Tigresses played with more sense of urgency in the second set.

They raced to a 10-4 lead, with Dimdim Pacres and Rondina leading the way, and never wavered the rest of the way to level the match at a set apiece.

Taking cue from their strong showing in the second set, the Tigresses jumped off the gate anew to begin the third, claiming an 8-4 lead by the first break and 16-10 midway into the frame.

Stepping up their level of play on both ends and keeping their focus though, the Lady Warriors made a huge 14-8 run as the set progressed to tie the score at 24-all and extend the frame.

The teams went back and forth in the extension but UST would blink first, giving the set victory to UE.

Regaining the bounce they had in the opening frame, the Lady Warriors rolled to an 8-5 lead in the early goings of the fourth frame, punctuated by the solid floor work of libero Kath Arado.

UE continued to pounce on UST, extending its lead to 16-12 halfway into the set.

Rondina then towed the Tigresses to a 7-3 run to tie the count at 19-all after which went on to build a 24-22 advantage.

The Lady Warriors was undeterred, however, and moved to tie the score at 24-all and extend the set anew.

It was an opportunity they would not let go off as they scored the next two points to shut the door on UST.

Arado was adjudged player of the game after posting 32 excellent receptions and 28 excellent digs to set the tone for the Lady Warriors for the rest of the match. She also had two points.

Meanne Mendrez top-scored for UE with 21 points with skipper Shaya Adorador adding 15 and Judith Abil and Seth Rodriguez adding 10 each.

UST, meanwhile, was led by Rondina with 25 points with Pacres adding 18.

With the win UE is now sporting a 2-6 record, the same card as UST.

Paul, Harden fire as Rockets roll to sweet 16th win in row

LOS ANGELES — Chris Paul scored 25 points as the Houston Rockets overpowered Russell Westbrook’s Oklahoma City Thunder to tighten their grip on the Western Conference with a 16th straight victory on Tuesday.

Paul produced a scintillating display of shooting which included five three-pointers to help the Rockets bring up their 50th win of the season, a 122-112 victory.

Houston now lead the West at 50-13, ahead of the Golden State Warriors who play later Tuesday.

The Thunder, meanwhile, remain firmly in the battle for one of the lower-seeded playoff spots, lying seventh at 37-29.

Against the Rockets, the talismanic figure of Westbrook once again led the way for the Thunder with 32 points while Carmelo Anthony finished with 23.

Paul George had 17 points while New Zealand’s Steven Adams chipped in with 16.

Houston’s greater depth in offense, however, was to prove decisive, with seven players cracking double digits.

MVP hopeful James Harden was happy to take a backseat to Paul, but still managed to come up with 23 points, 11 assists and five rebounds.

Trevor Ariza had 15 points while Eric Gordon (14), Luc Mbah a Moute (11), PJ Tucker (10) and Clint Capela (10) all made important contributions.

In the Eastern Conference on Tuesday, DeMar DeRozan led the scoring as the Toronto Raptors notched a fifth consecutive victory to remain firmly on top of the standings with a 106-90 romp against the Atlanta Hawks.

The Raptors improved to 46-17 with the win, helped by Jonas Valanciunas contributing 15 points and CJ Miles 14 off the bench. Serge Ibaka and Delon Wright also made double figures with 10 points apiece.

John Collins and Kent Bazemore each made 14 points for the Hawks, but the visitors were unable to prevent a sixth defeat in eight games.

Atlanta remain rooted to the foot of the Eastern Conference with a 20-45 record.

In Charlotte, Robert Covington led an all-round scoring display from the Philadelphia 76ers in a 128-114 defeat of the Hornets.

Covington scored 22 points for the Sixers, one of seven players to finish in double figures for the visitors, who improved to 35-28 and remain sixth in the standings.

Dario Saric had 19 points while Joel Embiid snared 18. Australian star Ben Simmons got 16 points with 13 assists and eight rebounds. Charlotte fell to 28-37 in the defeat.

In Washington, Bradley Beal had 30 points while Markieff Morris exerted his influence as the Wizards maintained their playoff push, winning over the Miami Heat, 117-113. Morris had 16 points with 13 rebounds to help the Wizards improve to 37-28. — AFP

Danny ‘The King’ Kingad out not to let efforts go futile in ONE return

NOT even a sudden change in opponent in his upcoming fight can deter the drive of Filipino mixed martial arts fighter Danny “The King” Kingad to bounce back and redeem himself following a defeat in his previous outing in ONE Championship.

Part of the card for “ONE: Visions of Victory” happening tomorrow in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Team Lakay’s Kingad is to face Bulgarian Sotir Kickukov, a replacement opponent who took over for hometown bet Gianni Subba after the latter was elevated for the headlining fight against Australian Reece McLaren.

Mr. McLaren was supposed to face reigning ONE flyweight world champion Adriano Moraes for a title fight before the reigning champ pulled out because of injury.

The change in opponent meant that Mr. Kingad (5-1) had to recalibrate his preparation with two weeks to go, something he said he was able to do and that he is hoping it would bear his desired result come fight night.

“I am happy that he (Kickukov) stepped up to take this bout. My preparations for my return to action will not be futile,” said Mr. Kingad in the lead-up to Visions of Victory.

“It’s a different opponent, so there are definitely some things you have to change up. But anything can happen in a bout and that’s always my outlook on it. You go into a match, [and] you have to adapt inside the cage. Surely, I will exert a great effort to win this bout,” he added.

Mr. Kingad enters the fight off his first-round submission defeat (rear-naked choke) to Mr. Moraes in November last year here in Manila.

Instead of soaking in the feeling of dejection of coming up short in the title fight and absorbing his first defeat, Mr. Kingad said he viewed his first loss as something to learn from, using it as a big motivation for him to train hard and come back with fire in his eyes.

“It’s not a defeat. I think of it as a lesson. It has served as an inspiration and a reminder to work hard and push myself to the limit in training. I am still young, and there are a lot to learn in this sport. I believe great things are ahead of me,” he said.

Mr. Kingad went on to say that he recognizes that Mr. Kickukov (13-7) would not be an easy customer, especially since the Bulgarian, a former bantamweight titleholder in Max Fight, has lost five straight, four coming in ONE Championship.

“There shouldn’t be room even for a single mistake in this bout. Expect that I will be a better competitor inside the cage. My team has prepared a good strength and conditioning program to level up my cardio. I made sure to sharpen my striking. I also invested time in my ground game,” he said.

“The end of my 2017 left a bad taste in my mouth. My desire is to redeem myself and start my 2018 by winning my match against my Bulgarian opponent. I don’t want to sit here and be relaxed. I don’t want him to take my winning moment away from me. My mind is focused on getting that victory,” Mr. Kingad added. — Michael Angelo S. Murillo

Navy-Standard tries to keep lead as Ronda resumes today

ECHAGUE, ISABELA — Ronald Oranza, Jan Paul Morales and the confident Navy-Standard Insurance will try to keep their stranglehold of the lead in the individual and team races as the Ronda Pilipinas 2018 presented by LBC resumes today with the 179.4-kilometer Stage Five starting in Echague, Isabela and ending in San Jose, Nueva Ecija.

The 26-year-old Oranza seized the overall lead after topping the first two stages — the first a Vigan criterium and the other a Vigan-Pagudpud lap and has never looked back since as he has posted a total time of 13 hours and 33.21 minutes after four stages.

“I will just want to race smart for me to keep this red jersey,” said Oranza, a proud son of Villasis, Pangasinan, in Filipino.

Another Navy bet, defending back-to-back champion Morales, should be in hot pursuit as he is currently at no. 2 with 13:38:22, or five minutes and a second off the pace.

The Calumpang, Marikina City-based Morales is also riding the crest of his Tuguegarao-Isabela Stage Four triumph and should come into the stage in high spirits in this race presented by LBC and supported by MVP Sports Foundation, Filinvest, CCN, Petron, Versa.ph, 3Q Sports Event Management, Inc., Boy Kanin, Franzia, Standard Insurance, Bike Xtreme, SH+, Guerciotti, Prolite, Green Planet, Maynilad, NLEX Sports, Lightwater, LBC Foundation and PhilCycling.

Morales, who is eyeing a third straight crown, however, is more concerned in helping win both the individual and team titles. Apart from Oranza and Morales, Navy has sent three more of its riders to the top 10 — Ronald Lomotos, Jhon Mark Camingao and Rudy Roque, last year’s runner-up.

Lomotos is currently at no. 5 with a clocking of 13:40:57, Camingao at no. 8 with 13:41:50 and Roque at no. 9 with 13:42:44.

Jay Lampawog of Go for Gold Developmental team, Cris Joven of Army-Bicycology, Irish Valenzuela of CCN Superteam, Ronnel Hualda of Go for Gold and Leonel Dimaano of Team Franzia are all expected to make a stand.

Lampawog is at no. 3 with 13:40:16, Joven at no. 4 with 13:40:35, Valenzuela at no. 6 with 13:41:22, Hualda at no. 7 with 13:41:34 and Dimaano at no. 10 with 13:43:11.

PAL Interclub: Southwoods starts its ‘Four-Peat’ bid

BACOLOD — With a place in history on the line, a Manila Southwoods team that’s definitely not lacking in firepower starts its quest for a rare “four-peat” when Men’s Regular action in the 71st PAL Interclub tees off at tree-lined Marapara here.

Reedy Japanese teenager Yuto Katsuragawa and some of the country’s finest young talents hope to carry Southwoods to a place no squad has ever been to before, and the team wasted no effort in making sure that they come to this year’s war armed to the teeth.

“We prepared long and hard for this so there won’t be an excuse for us,” non-playing skipper Thirdy Escaño said as Southwoods sampled the Marapara and Binitin courses in the last two days. “Of course, we also need to get the breaks (during the tournament).”

Escaño is wary of one enemy in particular — Canlubang — which, he admitted, has gotten stronger since being drubbed by the Carmona-based parbusters last year in Davao.

“They’re still the chief threats,” Escaño said, referring to the Sugar Barons and the seasoned Rupert Zaragosa. “It’s going to be a tough four days, but I am confident because, like I said, we left no stones unturned in preparing for this tournament.”

Southwoods established a record in triumphing for the third straight year last year with an 11-under, 155-point total in the third round at Rancho Palos Verdes.

That effort made the final day at tough Apo Golf their virtual victory march and clearly established Southwoods as the team to beat — again — after keeping its lineup intact.

Jun Jun Plana will be the steadying presence, so to speak, for Southwoods, which has been ruling all team tournaments with ease, counting the Fil-Am Invitational in Baguio last December.

Second and third round play will be held at Binitin in Murcia town where Cangolf coach Boyet Zaragosa believes the tournament will be won.

“Whoever plays well in the middle two rounds will have a great chance of winning,” Zaragosa said as he stressed that both squads will likely just cancel each other out at Marapara owing to the talent level of their players.

This year’s Interclub’s Platinum sponsors this year are RMN and Manila Times, while major sponsors are Mastercard, The Philippine Manila Standard, Rolls Royce, Bombardier, TV5, Primax, BusinessWorld, Crossover and Fox.

Other sponsors include Boeing, PAGCOR, Belmonte Hotel, Eton Properties and Asia Brewery, Inc.

2018 Aeroflot Open

2018 Aeroflot Open “A”
Moscow, Russia
Feb. 20-28, 2018

Final Top Standings

1. GM Vladislav Kovalev BLR 2641, 7.0/9

2-3. GM SP Sethuraman IND 2646, GM Dmitry Gordievsky RUS 2630, 6.5/9

4-10. GM Xu Xiangyu CHN 2545, GM Tigran L. Petrosian ARM 2589, GM Vladislav Artemiev RUS 2697, GM Igor Lysyj RUS 2618, GM Gabriel Sargissian ARM 2677, GM Anton Korobov UKR 2664, GM Rauf Mamedov AZE 2709, 6.0/9

11-19. GM David Paravyan RUS 2603, GM Gata Kamsky USA 2677, GM Kirill Alekseenko RUS 2609, GM Alexander Khalifman RUS 2614, GM Viktor Bologan MDA 2600, GM Maxim Matlakov RUS 2709, IM M. Amin Tabatabaei IRI 2577, GM Sandro Mareco ARG 2632, GM Vadim Zvjaginsev RUS 2629, GM Rinat Jumabayev KAZ 2614, 5.5/9

Total Number of Participants: 92 players

Time Control: 100 minutes for the first 40 moves, then 50 minutes for the next 20 moves followed by 15 minutes play-to-finish with 30 seconds added to your clock after every move starting move 1.

Last Tuesday, I was talking about the advances in chess in Iran but ran out of space. As most of you know chess in Iran was banned by Ayatollah Khomeini when he took power in 1979 and it was only after he passed away in 1989 that chess started making a comeback.

Now, a bunch of Iranian 17-year-old (GM Maghsoodloo, IM Tabatabaei, IM Glolami) and 14-year-old (for example IM Alireza Firoozja) have started to make inroads in world chess.

In the recently concluded Aeroflot Open IM Mohammad Amin Tabatabaei, although only seeded no. 46 with a rating of 2577, put up quite a surprising challenge. He started off by losing to India’s 3rd highest rated woman chessplayer IM Eesha Karavade, then he scored 5.5 out of 6 to tie for first with Kovalev before the penultimate round before losing his last 2 games to finish out of the money.

Tabatabaei’s 5.5/6 streak included wins over Fedoseev and Krishnan Sasikiran. Here is the game I wanted to show you last Tuesday but had to cut out — his takedown of the number 1 seed Vladimir Fedoseev.

Fedoseev, Vladimir (2724) — Tabatabaei, M. Amin (2577) [B12]
15th Aeroflot Open 2018 Moscow (6),
25.02.2018

1.e4 c6 2.d4 d5 3.e5 Bf5 4.h4 h6 5.g4 Be4

Black has two possible plans here, either to move to bishop to d7 or h7. If he chooses the latter, as in this case, it is important that the bishop go to e4 first, inducing 6.f3. That way the square f3 is taken away from the white knight. If the bishop goes straight to h7 here is what might happen: 5…Bh7 6.e6! Qd6 7.exf7+ Kxf7 8.Nf3 Nd7 9.g5 Bf5 10.Bd3 e6 11.Nc3 Ne7 12.gxh6 gxh6 13.Be3 Black’s king is exposed — White definitely has the better chances here.

6.f3 Bh7 7.e6 Qd6

Weaker is 7…fxe6 8.Bd3 Bxd3 9.Qxd3 e5 10.dxe5 e6 11.Ne2 Ne7 12.Nf4 Nd7! 13.Qe2 (13.Nxe6?! Nxe5 14.Nxd8 Nxd3+ 15.cxd3 Rxd8 it is Black who is better here) 13…Kf7 14.Be3 c5 (14…Nxe5? 15.Bd4 Nc4 16.Qxe6+) 15.Na3 Nxe5 16.0–0–0 White’s attacking chances is worth more than the pawn he gave up.

8.exf7+ Kxf7 9.Bd3 Bxd3 10.Qxd3 Nd7 11.h5

A new move. Actually, White has close to a 100% score with 11.Ne2 let me show you a representative game: 11…e5 12.Be3 Ngf6 (12…Re8 putting pressure down the e-file might be better. After 13.Nbc3 exd4 14.Bxd4 Ne5 15.Qf5+ Qf6 game is equal) 13.Nbc3 Qe6 14.0–0–0 c5 (perhaps 14…Re8 is better) 15.g5! hxg5 16.hxg5 Rxh1 17.Rxh1 Ne8 18.dxe5 d4 19.Nf4 Nxe5 20.Qh7 Qd7 21.Ncd5 dxe3 22.g6+ Nxg6 23.Qxg6+ Kg8 24.Rh5 Be7 25.Qe4 Bf6 26.Qc4 Qf7 27.Ng6! Qxg6 28.Ne7+ Kf8 29.Nxg6# 1–0 (29) Malinovsky,K (2396)-Bures,J (2381) Czechia 2013. So why didn’t Fedoseev go for this? I am not sure — maybe he thought 11.h5 was even stronger?

11…e5 12.f4

It still looks like 12.Ne2 followed by Be3, Nbc3 and 0–0–0 is better.

12…exd4! 13.Qf5+ Ngf6 14.g5

Looks like Black is losing a piece? Not quite.

14…hxg5 15.fxg5 Qg3+

This is why at some point White needed to play Ne2.

16.Kf1

No choice:

16.Kd1 Rxh5! 17.Rxh5 Qxg1+ 18.Kd2 Re8 White is the one who is mated;

16.Kd2 Rxh5 17.Rxh5 Qe3+ 18.Kd1 Qxg1+ 19.Kd2 Re8 we get the same position as in the previous variation. Black mates.

16…Re8

Targeting the e1 square.

17.Nf3 <D>

POSITION AFTER 17.NF3

17…Re2?

Flashy but the text only draws. Correct is the simple 17…Ne5! 18.Rh3 (18.Nxd4 Nf3! 19.Nxf3 Bc5 20.Rh2 Re1+ 21.Nxe1 Qg1+ 22.Ke2 Re8+ with forced mate) 18…Qg4 19.Qxg4 Nfxg4 20.g6+ Kg8 21.Kg2 Nf6 Black is winning. The g6 and h5 pawns will fall.

18.Kxe2 Qg2+ 19.Kd3 Qf2

Threatening …Nc5 mate.

20.Nxd4

White has his own mate threat on e6.

20…Nc5+ 21.Kc3 Nce4+ 22.Kd3 Nc5+ 23.Kc3 Nce4+ 24.Kb3

Instead of settling for a draw by repetition with 24.Kd3 Fedoseev tries for more.

24…Qxd4

With another mate threat of …Qc4. This is easily parried though.

25.c3 Qd3 26.Qf1?

The losing blunder. Fedoseev had to preface this move with 26.g6+ Ke7 first (blocking the f8 bishop) and then 27.Qf1 Nc5+ 28.Ka3 Rxh5 29.Qxd3 Nxd3 30.Rxh5 Nxh5 31.Nd2 both sides have chances.

26…Nc5+ 27.Ka3 Rxh5 28.Rg1

If White plays the same way as in the previous line then 28.Qxd3 Nxd3+ CHECK 29.b4 Rxh1 the white rook is gone.

28…Qc2

With the idea of Qa4 mate.

29.b4 a5! 30.gxf6

[30.bxa5 Nd3#]

30…axb4+ 31.cxb4 Qa4+ 32.Kb2 Qxb4+ 33.Kc2 Qa4+ 34.Kb2 Qd4+ 35.Kc2 Qe4+ 36.Kd1 Rf5 37.Qg2 Qa4+ 38.Ke2 Qc2+ 39.Nd2 Re5+ 40.Kf2 Ne4+ 0–1

What a fight! You really can’t put down a great player without playing great yourself.

Oh! Remember the 15-year-old Esipenko, the World Under-16 Champion who massacred Karjakin so mightily in the World Rapid Championship last December?

Karjakin, Sergey (2760) — Esipenko, Andrey (2564) [B11]
WCh Rapid 2017 Riyadh (8.9),
27.12.2017

1.e4 c6 2.Nf3 d5 3.Nc3 Bg4 4.h3 Bxf3 5.Qxf3 Nf6 6.d3 e6 7.Bd2 Qb6 8.0–0–0 d4 9.Ne2 c5 10.e5 Nd5 11.Nf4 Nb4 12.Kb1 Nd7 13.Qe4 Nc6 14.Nh5 0–0–0 15.f4 c4 16.dxc4 Ba3 17.Bc1 Nc5 18.Qf3 d3 19.cxd3 Na4 20.Rd2 Nd4 21.Qf2 Nc3+ 22.Ka1 Qb3 23.bxc3 Qxc3+ 24.Bb2 Bxb2+ 25.Rxb2 Qc1+ 26.Rb1 Nc2+ 27.Qxc2 Qxc2 28.g3 b5 29.cxb5 Rd4 0–1

Esipenko also played here in Aeroflot. He won only 1 game and lost 2 for 4/9 and 60th place. Not so impressive, but the following game is.

Esipenko, Andrey (2571) — Salomon, Johan (2503) [D38]
15th Aeroflot Open 2018 Moscow (6),
25.02.2018

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 d5 4.Nc3 Bb4 5.Qb3 c5 6.dxc5 Nc6 7.Bg5 Qa5 8.Bxf6 dxc4 9.Qxc4 gxf6 10.Rc1 Qxc5 11.Qh4 Ke7

Strangely enough, for such a sharp position, most games from this line end up as draws.

12.g3 Bxc3+ 13.bxc3

[13.Rxc3 Qb4 immediately forces the queens off the board]

13…b6 14.Bg2 Bb7

An attempt at an improvement over 14…Ba6 which appears to be vulnerable to Nf3–d2–e4. Here are two examples: 15.Nd2 Rac8 16.Ne4 Qf5 (16…Qe5 17.Rd1 Rhd8 18.Rxd8 Rxd8 19.f4 Qf5 20.g4 Qg6 21.Rf1 h5 22.f5 Qxg4 23.Qxf6+ Ke8 24.Rf2 Bc4 25.Ng5 Ne5 26.Bc6+ 1–0 (26) Thejkumar,M (2461)-Swayams,M (2460) Bhopal 2017) 17.g4 Qg6 18.f4 Nd4 19.Rd1 Nc2+ 20.Kf2 Rhd8 21.Bf3 h6 22.Ng3 Rxd1 23.Rxd1 Rc4 24.Nh5 Bb5 25.Qg3 Qg8 26.f5 e5 27.Nxf6 Kxf6 28.Rd6+ Kg7 29.Qh4 Qf8 30.Qxh6+ Kg8 31.Rg6+ 1–0 (31) Rapport,R (2701)-Gajewski,G (2650) Budapest 2014.

15.0–0 h5 16.Nd4 Rac8 17.Nb3 Qe5 18.Qa4 h4 19.Rfd1 hxg3 20.hxg3 Rc7?!

Hmm.. is it possible that this move is a mistake? It is quite a logical move, keeping an eye on d7 and b7.

21.Qa3+! Ke8 22.Rd6 Qh5?

Not 22…Qxe2? 23.Rcd1 Rc8 24.Rd7 followed by Bxc6.

23.Rcd1!

Black has his own tricks. If 23.Kf1? Ne5

23…Rc8 24.Rd7 Ba8 25.e4 Rd8?

White will have the same response against 25…Rc7.

26.Qe7+! 1–0

 

Bobby Ang is a founding member of the National Chess Federation of the Philippines and its first Executive Director. A Certified Public Accountant, 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

Lillard lifts Blazers

What a difference a month makes. This time in February, the Trail Blazers were wallowing in mediocrity, just four games over .500 and in danger of missing the playoffs. Fresh off three straight losses through four days on the road, they held on to the sixth spot in the highly competitive West, but mere percentage points ahead of the 10th running Jazz (to whom, it must be noted, they would then lose). And then something happened, fast: They won. And won. And won again, so much so that, heading into yesterday’s set-to against the Knicks, they were already in third.

True, the Blazers are still nowhere near safe. Not counting the Rockets and Warriors, who have effectively lapped the field, they’re leading a bunch of eight fighting for six postseason slots. And, yes, the word “bunch” understates the ferocity of the competition. As red hot as they may be, having prevailed in seven straight — and nine of their last 10 — outings, they’re just four games ahead of the aforementioned Jazz. Which is to say they need to keep the pedal to the metal if they aim to begin the playoffs with homecourt advantage, let alone make it there.

The good news is that the Blazers have been extremely consistent on defense this season. Save for a hiccup at the turn of the year, they’ve exhibited top-shelf coverage, no mean feat given the acknowledged deficiencies of their offense-concentrated backcourt duo of Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum. The system they employ under head coach Terry Stotts smartly discourages treys, and even more so in the corners, while also funneling would-be drivers to an at-the-ready front line headed by Jusuf Nurkic.

That said, the Blazers’ fortunes still ebb and flow with Lillard’s (and, to a lesser extent, with McCollum’s). It’s no coincidence that their string of victories has coincided with the All-Star’s outstanding shooting; over the period, his scoring average is bested only by Anthony Davis of the likewise-surging Pelicans. Just yesterday, he put up an eye-popping 19 points, including 15 straight over two minutes, in the fourth quarter to deny the Lakers a seemingly certain win. He’s still nowhere near as efficient as, say, Steph Curry or even James Harden, but when he’s on, he’s on.

To be sure, the Blazers aren’t built to upend the Warriors or Rockets in a best-of-seven affair. On the other hand, there can be no denying the strides they’ve made. With the Spurs handicapped by a variety of injuries to key players, the Thunder still riding a roller coaster, and the Timberwolves forced to negotiate the near term without leader Jimmy Butler, they’ve stepped into the void and confidently made the most of the opportunity handed them. They’re in the homestretch, and, to their credit, they believe they deserve to be exactly where they are.

 

Anthony L. Cuaycong has been writing Courtside since BusinessWorld introduced a Sports section in 1994.

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