Assorted unlicensed firearms, totalling 119, including 63 high-powered weapons, are surrendered to the military on April 29 in Midsayap, Cotabato as part of the government’s Balik Baril program to promote peace. Cotabato Gov. Emmylou J. Talino-Mendoza, in her message during the turnover ceremony, stressed the need to end violence brought about by conflicts and criminality.
THE WESTERN Visayas office of the Department of Tourism (DoT-6) disagrees with its National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) counterpart in the assessment that regional growth would be severely affected by the six-month closure of Boracay to tourists.
“The NEDA-6 statement reveals a very narrow and shallow view of the Western Visayas region as a solely Boracay tourism-dependent region, when in fact it is a multi-destination region,” lawyer Helen J. Catalbas DoT-6 regional director, said in an interview.
In a press conference on the day of the island’s closure last April 26, NEDA-6 Regional Director Ro-Ann A. Bacal said the temporary shutdown will greatly affect the region’s economic performance.
“At the national level, the effect is insignificant because visitors, especially the local ones who could be very flexible with their travel, would just go to other places and spend there. Basically, it is a loss for Region 6,” Ms. Bacal said.
Ms. Catalbas, on the other hand, pointed out that there are other municipalities, cities, and provinces in the region that attract visitors and could make up for or mitigate the impact of Boracay’s closure
The DoT official said the NEDA-6 data indicating that Boracay contributes to 30.2% of the country’s foreign tourist arrivals in 2017 is incorrect.
DoT records show that 6.6 million foreigners visited the country in 2017, with Boracay accounting for 986,920.
The other popular destinations in the region include Iloilo and Bacolod cities, Negros Occidental, and the provinces of Iloilo, Capiz, Guimaras, and Antique.
OTHER SECTORS
Ms. Catalbas said the statement of the NEDA-6 head is “irresponsible” as well as “insults” the other sectors in the region which have significant economic contributions such as housing and construction, energy, services, export, remittances from overseas Filipino Workers, and business process outsourcing.
“The statement of NEDA Region 6 is irresponsible. It does not have a leg to stand on that it will result in the decreasing GDP (gross domestic product),” she said.
The added that such statements undermine investor confidence.
“Let us not undermine the efforts of the national government in saving Boracay by making an irresponsible pronouncement that is giving wrong signals and betrays the real intention of providing a better life for the people of Malay, province of Aklan, and the whole of Western Visayas,” she said. — Louine Hope U. Conserva
News stories from across the nation. Visit www.bworldonline.com (section: The Nation) to read more national and regional news from the Philippines.
By Michael Angelo S. Murillo
Senior Reporter
HER University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) career may have ended sans a championship to show for but National University (NU) women’s volleyball star Jaja Santiago is not going away empty-handed as she is set to receive the league award for most valuable player.
Saw her collegiate career end after being booted out by the defending champions De La Salle Lady Spikers in the Final Four, Santiago, nonetheless, played solid for the Lady Bulldogs, leading the squad in scoring with a total 280 points in her final year donning the blue and white.
Along the way she also proved to be the best spiker in the league, the fourth straight year she has done so.
Despite their efforts though, NU, limped out of the tournament after a strong start to its campaign that had it going 6-1 in the first round of the eliminations before going 1-6 after.
Best scorer is Sisi Rondina of the University of Santo Tomas (UST), compiling 296 points in the about-to-end season of the UAAP.
Celine Domingo of the Far Eastern University Lady Tamaraws is adjudged best blocker while best server is Desiree Cheng of La Salle.
Awards for best digger and receiver go to Kath Arado of the University of the East, with Deanna Wong of the Ateneo Lady Eagles as the best setter.
Rookie of the year, meanwhile, is Milena Alessandrini of UST.
On the men’s side, it is Ateneo’s Marck Espejo who is the MVP while also taking the awards for best scorer, best spiker and best server.
By Michael Angelo S. Murillo
Senior Reporter
THE growing long-distance cycling scene in the country has another challenging event to look forward to later this year as the qualifier for the Race Across America (RAAM) take place for the very first time in the Philippines.
Set for July 28 at The Villages in the Clark Freeport Zone in Pampanga, cycling enthusiasts both here and other parts of Asia get the chance to experience RAAM, considered to be the most challenging of bike races in the world because of its format that has racers cycling nonstop across 12 states.
As a qualifier recognized and approved by Race Across America, RAAMpage will be embodying the format of RAAM through a time-trial race.
It will be done, however, differently with six, 12 and 24-hour time trials to make the race friendlier to athletes and cyclists of all levels, organizers said.
“We really pushed for this event to encourage people to get into this, not only seasoned athletes but also newbies, which is why we introduced a six-hour category, because after all you have to start somewhere,” said Carmela Pearson, one of the organizers of RAAMpage and a veteran racer of RAAM, in an interview with BusinessWorld during the press launch of the cycling event on April 26 at the Union Jack Tavern in Makati.
“We want to encourage more people to be active. And it’s doable. It’s more relatable compared to aspiring to be a fast racer,” she added.
RAAMpage categories are divided into solo, two-person team and four-person team and further broken down by age both for male and female.
There is also a category for randonneurs (solo) both male and female.
Come race day, racers will have to do multiple laps in a 33-kilometer loop inside the Clark Freeport Zone.
Winners in the racing category are determined based on the number of laps covered. Should competitors finish with the same number of laps, the fastest completion time is the next basis.
The 24-hour non-drafting division will be an official RAAM Qualifier for the 2019 RAAM. To qualify for RAAM, male solo racers should cover at least 612 km (380 miles) and female solo racers should cover at least 564 km (350 miles) in 24 hours.
Fees for RAAMpage range from $50 to $770 for regular registration (May 1 to June 15) and $60 to $920 for late registration (June 16 to July 15).
“The goal is if we get at least 200 participants I will be happy. This is our first time to organize this and we are determined to do it properly. But if we are able to go over our initial goals we will welcome that. Hopefully this will be the first of many RAAMpage events in the country,” said Ms. Pearson, who with husband, Colin, Vanessa Bandoy Hans and Guillaume d’Aboville, made up the four-man mixed relay team from the Philippines that finished second in the 2017 RAAM.
RAAMpage is also supported by David’s Salon, whose owner, David Charlton, was also part of the Philippine support team that saw action in last year’s RAAM.
“I myself was with Carmela and our awesome team of four and we actually placed in the world’s toughest bike race! Imagine when we open this experience to even more Filipino athletes,” Mr. Charlton said during the launch.
For those interested in joining RAAMpage, visit it on Facebook at www.facebook.com/cyclingraampageph and www.cyclingraampage.com.
LOS ANGELES — LeBron James scored 45 points in another magnificent game seven performance Sunday, leading the Cleveland Cavaliers to a 105-101 victory over the Indiana Pacers and into the second round of the NBA playoffs.
Facing elimination in the first round for the first time, James was having none of it.
The 33-year-old superstar, who has now reached the second round in all 13 of his playoff appearances, produced his third 40-point game of the series, adding nine rebounds, seven assists and four steals as Cleveland booked a second-round clash with Eastern Conference top seeds Toronto starting on Tuesday.
“I just try to do whatever it takes to help us win. I felt like I wanted to do that again in this series,” said James, who is now 5-2 in game sevens in all rounds of the playoffs.
“There’s nothing like a game seven,” said Cleveland’s Tristan Thompson. “Game seven separates the men from the boys.”
With their season on the line after a humbling 34-point loss in game six, the Cavaliers exploded out of the blocks.
James made his first seven shots and finished the first half with 26 points, five assists and four rebounds.
The Cavs pulled down 11 offensive rebounds in the first half and led by as many as 14 in the second quarter as coach Tyronn Lue switched his starting lineup to include all four of his holdovers from the last three NBA Finals teams: James, Thompson, Kevin Love and JR Smith.
“We started the game with guys that have been in big games before,” said James, but there was no doubt that it was “King James” who ruled.
James became the career playoff leader in steals when he picked off a pass in the second quarter, having entered the contest tied with former Chicago Bulls great Scottie Pippen (395) atop the all-time post-season list.
James also became the first player to score 20 or more points 200 times in the playoffs.
“He put us on his back,” Lue said. “He did it all for us this series.”
After their dominant first half, Cleveland once again saw the Pacers gain ground in the third.
Indiana took a one-point lead on Bojan Bogdanovich’s three-pointer with 7:13 left in the third period and a determined Victor Oladipo scored 14 of his 30 points in the third.
Cleveland weathered the storm to take a two-point lead into the fourth quarter, and with James sidelined for several minutes fighting leg cramps they built the advantage to nine.
Oladipo’s driving layup cut Indiana’s deficit to four with less than a minute to play, but James responded with a layup and Cleveland held on.
“I’m burnt right now,” James admitted after the game. “I’m not thinking about Toronto right now until tomorrow. I’m ready to go home. Can we? I’m tired. I want to go home.”
The Cavaliers have beaten the Raptors in each of the last two post-seasons, sweeping them in the second round last year.
ROCKETS DOMINATE JAZZ
But fatigue could be a factor against a Toronto team that punched their second-round ticket on Friday.
It was evident on Sunday that the Utah Jazz just couldn’t keep up with the potent Houston Rockets in their Western Conference second-round opener.
James Harden scored 41 points as the Rockets romped to a 110-96 victory.
Houston connected on 17 of 32 three-point attempts and led by as many as 27 over a Jazz team that eliminated Oklahoma City on Sunday in the sixth game of a bruising first-round series. — AFP
FOR the second straight time the F2 Logistics Cargo Movers and Petron Blaze Spikers face off in the finals of the Philippine Superliga (PSL) Grand Prix with the combatants equally determined to see their respective causes through.
The Cargo Movers look to make it 2-of-2 over the Blaze Spikers in the finals of the import-laden tournament while the latter try to complete their unfinished business after having the rug pulled from under them in last year’s edition of the grand prix.
Proceedings begin today with Game One of the scheduled best-of-three gold medal joust at the Smart Araneta Coliseum at 7 p.m.
Serving as an appetizer is the battle for bronze at 4:15 p.m. between the Cocolife Asset Managers and Foton Tornadoes.
Came from behind to win the tournament in 2017, F2 Logistics has its mind-set on defending its crown against an opponent it expects to be hungry after falling short last time around.
“The mind-set of the players is to defend the title. I’m telling them that they are the reigning champions and everybody is looking to beat them. So they have to show up prepared and ready to win because their pride as defending champions is at stake,” said F2 Logistics coach Arnold Laniog in the lead-up to today’s game.
The Cargo Movers topped the elimination round with a 9-1 record before beating the Smart Prepaid Giga Hitters in the quarterfinals.
Towed by Kim Fajardo, Aby Maraño and Cha Cruz along with imports MJ Perez and Kennedy Bryan, F2 Logistics moved on to defeat Foton in their best-of-three encounter to book its place in the finals.
UNFINISHED BUSINESS
Blew its chance to claim the grand prix crown last year, Petron is eyeing redemption as it makes another go in the finals.
The Blaze Spikers took the series-opener over the Cargo Movers in the 2017 finals but could not complete the task as F2 Logistics won the next two matches to make its way to the title.
That regretful episode is serving as motivation for Petron, with coach Shaq Delos Santos saying they will try their very best to complete what they view as unfinished business.
“We will do everything to prepare for our finals rematch with F2 Logistics. It is a very talented team. It is a strong and aggressive team. The big challenge for us is what happened last year when we lost to them in the finals. This is a new opportunity and we’re accepting this challenge to, hopefully, win the title,” Mr. Delos Santos said.
Petron finished at number two in the elimination round despite a similar 9-1 record with F2 Logistics. It then eliminated Generika-Ayala Lifesavers in the next round and completed its finals return with a sweep of Cocolife in their best-of-three semifinals.
The Blaze Spikers are banking on the leadership and play of import Lindsay Stalzer as well support from fellow reinforcements Katherine Bell and Yuri Fukuda.
Mika Reyes, Aiza Maizo-Pontillas and Remy Palma banner Petron’s local crew.
The finals of the PSL Grand Prix will be broadcast over ESPN5. — Michael Angelo S. Murillo
MAKING a strong push in the Asian region in the last decade, the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is angling on building on the momentum it has garnered with its push by continuing to bring quality mixed martial arts events in this part of the world.
In a press conference held for the Manila fight tour of UFC star Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone on April 27 at the Marco Polo Hotel in Ortigas, Kevin Chang, UFC vice-president for Asia Pacific, underscored how the region is “very important” for the organization and shared how they are continuing to find ways to further cultivate the success and support they are getting in the region.
“It’s a continued expansion for the UFC in Asia by bringing our events here. We had tremendous success last year with events in Tokyo, Sydney, Auckland [New Zealand], Singapore and Shanghai in China. So it’s really growing as a sport and we are well-positioned I have to say. We are excited as well with the growing basic talent that we are able to tap here,” said Mr. Chang.
The UFC official also shared that they are close to bringing the UFC back to Manila after holding its debut outing in the Philippines in 2015, a well-received event at the Mall of Asia Arena that was bannered by the clash between UFC legends Frankie “The Answer” Edgar and Urijah “The California Kid” Faber.
“Going back to Manila is close to becoming a reality,” Mr. Chang said.
“We have had discussions in the past few months. It makes sense for us to go back here. The fan base here is very passionate and sophisticated for combat sports in general. When Manny [Pacquiao] fights, all of the country shuts down and it’s the same for the UFC. They know where the UFC sits in the world of MMA. They recognize our fighters and watch our programs. We have a good partner here in Cignal which helps us to continue promoting our product here,” he added.
The UFC makes its Singapore return next month with “UFC Fight Night 132,” featuring American Cerrone against Leon Edwards of Jamaica.
The event will take place at the Singapore Indoor Stadium on June 23 and will also have light heavyweights Ovince Saint Preux and Tyson Pedro battle in the co-main event.
Also part of the card is Filipino Jenel “The Demolition Man” Lausa against Ashkan “The Assassin” Mokhtarian of Iran.
Mr. Chang said they are excited to go back to Singapore after a successful event last year that had Holly Holm going up against Bethe Correia.
“We had a good one last year in Singapore with Holm vs. Correia and we had to find a way to top it and I think we have it with Cowboy part of the event this year. We can well see history made as a win by Cowboy makes him the winningest fighter in the UFC, breaking a three-way tie with Georges St-Pierre and Michael Bisping,” the UFC official said.
“It is important to bring this caliber of events here for fans to see what the UFC is all about,” Mr. Chang added.
In the Philippines, Cignal TV, the country’s foremost direct-to-home (DTH) company, is the home of the UFC after the two groups agreed to an extensive deal that will see the UFC beamed on various platforms. — Michael Angelo S. Murillo
GRENKE Chess Open
Karlsruhe, Germany
March 29-April 2, 2018
Final Top Standings
1. IM Vincent Keymer GER 2403, 8.0/9
2-4. GM Anton Korobov UKR 2664, GM Dmitry Gordievsky RUS 2630, GM Alexei Shirov LAT 2651, 7.5/9
5-26. GM Maxime Lagarde FRA 2587, GM Falko Bindrich GER 2602, GM Daniel Sadzikowski POL 2583, GM Burak Firat TUR 2453, GM Gergely Antal HUN 2540, IM Alessio Valsecchi ITA 2510, GM Dmitry Andreikin RUS 2712, IM Jaime Santos Larasa ESP 2549, GM Dmitrij Kollars GER 2534, IM Eyal Grimberg ISR 2448, GM Wang Hao CHN 2713, GM Andreas Heimann GER 2574, GM Vadim Malakhatko BEL 2536, GM Konstantin Landa RUS 2613, GM Etienne Bacrot FRA 2718, IM Jonas Lampert GER 2532, IM Christopher Noe GER 2494, IM Michael Fedorovsky GER 2471, GM Alberto David ITA 2566, GM Vladimir Burmarkin RUS 2522, GM Victor Mikhalevski ISR 2557, FM Fabian Baenziger SUI 2356, 7.0/9
Total Participants: 787 players
Time Control: Players receive 2 hours for 40 moves and 30 minutes for the rest of the game. There is no increment.
Two weeks ago I reported on the category-20 superGM tournament GRENKE Chess Classic which was won by Fabiano Caruana ahead of Magnus Carlsen, Viswanathan Anand, Levon Aronian, and several other very strong grandmasters.
What I didn’t tell you yet was that alongside this event the same people organized a giant open tournament called the GRENKE Chess Open. This nine rounds Swiss system tournament had a first prize of €15,000 (around P950,000), attracted 787 participants including more than a hundred titled players and 49 international grandmasters.
Famous names like Dmitry Andreikin, Etienne Bacrot, Anton Korobov, Richard Rapport, Alexei Shirov, Wang Hao, Rustam Kasimdzhanov, Love Van Wely, Victor Mikhalevski, etc. were vying for the top prizes but a 13-year-old international master by the name of Vincent Keymer, seeded 99th at the start of the event, score 8/9 to win first place. 8/9, by the way, surpasses the required score for a GM norm by 1.5 points and is equivalent to a performance rating of almost 2800!
Keymer previously was the youngest player ever to score an IM norm, at 10 years three months, and even drew praised from Garry Kasparov as a “truly extraordinary talent,” but nothing prepared us for such a great accomplishment. In fact, a few months ago Vincente participated in the World Junior (Under-20) Championship held in Tarvisio, Italy and finished in 61st place. For goodness sake he is not even in the Under-16 Top 100 player list!
I believe Keymer’s success is a success of the project of the GRENKE Leasing Group which created a Bundesliga (German League) team in Deizisau that, first and foremost, gives German players the chance to prove themselves. Matthias Blübaum, Andreas Heimann and Vincent Keymer are the young talents which they are developing. They are assisted by current and former members of the German national team such as Georg Meier, Alexander Graf, and Rustem Dautov. Last November the former world championship candidate Peter Leko jointed the fold and took charge of Keymer’s training.
Vincent Keymer’s fantastic victory entitles him to play in the superGM tournament GRENKE Chess Classic next year where the Top 10 of the world regularly play. He is a bit hesitant to take up on that offer because of the huge disparity in their ELO ratings, but anyway he has an entire year to prepare for that.
It is now time to take a look at his games, more specifically the last 4 games which he all won. First the Italian IM Valsecchi did not survive the opening.
Keymer, Vincent (2403) — Valsecchi, Alessio (2510) [A33]
3rd GRENKE Chess Open 2018 Karlsruhe (6), 01.04.2018
1.Nf3 c5 2.c4 Nf6 3.d4 e6 4.Nc3 cxd4 5.Nxd4 Nc6 6.g3 Qb6 7.Nf3
The main line is 7.Nb3 Ne5 8.e4 Bb4 9.Qe2 d6 but Keymer’s opening strategy in this tournament is a conservative one — avoid all sharp lines and just go for development.
7…Bb4 8.Bg2 Ne4 9.0–0 Nxc3 10.bxc3 Be7
Black avoids 10…Bxc3 11.Be3 Qa5 12.Rc1 0–0 13.Qb3 Bf6 14.Rfd1 when it is White who has the initiative. This might be the best course of action though as after the text move White still gets the initiative at no material investment.
11.Be3 Qc7 12.c5 0–0 13.Nd4 Nxd4 14.cxd4 d5 15.cxd6 Bxd6 16.Qb3 Rb8 17.Rac1 Qe7 18.Rfd1 b5 19.Bc6 a6 20.Rc2 Bb7 21.d5!
The idea is 22.dxe6 fxe6 (of course not 22…Qxe6? 23.Qxe6 fxe6 24.Rxd6) 23.Bxb7 Rxb7 24.Rc6 White is winning material. For example there is 24…Rd7 25.Rd2! h6 26.Qd1 Rfd8 27.Bb6 etc.
21…exd5 22.Rxd5!
The threat now is 23.Bxb7 Rxb7 24.Bg5! Qe6 25.Rc6 winning a piece.
22…Bc8 23.Qd3! Bb4 24.Bg5! Qe6 25.Qd4 Be7 26.Bf4 Qg6 27.Rc1 Be6 28.Bxb8! Bxd5 29.Bxd5 Rxb8 30.Qa7
Black is not out of the woods. His rook and bishop are both attacked and 30…Re8 is met by 31.Qxe7 — the queen is immune because of the back rank mate.
30…Qd6 31.Rc6 Qe5
Better is 31…Qd8 but even then after 32.Rc7 Bf6 33.Rd7 Qc8 34.Rxf7 Kh8 35.e4 White is winning.
32.f4!
The queen has to abandon her defense of the b8 rook.
32…Qxd5 33.Qxb8+ Bf8 34.Qb6? Qxa2? 35.Qe3 a5 36.Rc8 Qb1+ 37.Kg2 Qb4 38.Qd3 Qe7 39.Qxb5 Qe4+ 40.Kg1 Qd4+ 41.Kf1! a4 42.Qc4 Qd1+ 43.Kg2 a3 44.Qd3 Qa4 45.Qd6 1–0
The German GM Buhmann, known as an attacking fanatic, had a hallucination in mid-attack and was defeated easily. Vincent’s opponent in the penultimate round was the 31-year-old Hungarian GM Gabor Papp.
Keymer, Vincent (2403) — Papp, Gabor (2604) [E67]
3rd GRENKE Chess Open 2018 Karlsruhe (8), 02.04.2018
1.d4 d6 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.c4 g6 4.g3 Bg7 5.Bg2 0–0 6.Nc3 Nbd7 7.Bf4 [As BW readers know the main line here is 7.0–0 e5 8.e4 c6 9.h3 Qb6 and so on and so forth. When going over the statistics I was surprised to know that the text move is a rarity but scores 85% in tournament play. Obviously the idea is to prevent Black’s …e7–e5.]
7…e5 [Nevertheless! This new move gives up a pawn for the initiative. It is also interesting that both Stockfish 8 and Komodo 11, both chess engines which treasure their pawns, recommend this move.]
8.dxe5 dxe5 9.Nxe5 Nh5 10.Nd3 Nxf4 11.Nxf4 c6 12.0–0 Qb6 13.Nd3 Ne5 14.c5 Qa5 15.b4 Qa3 [Threatening …Nxd3.]
16.Qc1 Nc4 17.Ne4 Be6 [17…Bxa1 18.Qxa1 White may be down the exchange but the Q+N attack along the long diagonal is fatal for Black. The immediate threat is 18… — 19.Nf6+ Kh8 20.Nd7+ Kg8 21.Nxf8 Kxf8 (21…Bf5 22.Qd4) 22.Qh8+ Ke7 23.Rd1 the black king cannot survive in the center]
18.Qxa3 Nxa3 19.Rac1 Nb5 20.Nd6 Nc3 21.Rc2 Rab8 22.Nf4 Bd7 23.Rfc1 Na4 24.Rd1 a6 25.Rd3 Rfd8? <D>
[25…Nb2 is correct]
POSITION AFTER 25…RFD8
26.Nxb7! Rxb7 27.Bxc6! Bxc6 28.Rxd8+ Bf8 29.Rc8 Bd7 30.Ra8
The pawn on c5 now becomes a monster.
30…Rxb4 31.c6 Rb1+ 32.Kg2 Bf5 33.Nd3! Nb6 34.Rb8 Rb5 35.a4! Nxa4 36.c7 Nb6 37.Rc5 Rb3 38.Rxf5!
White removes the bishop keeping an eye on c8.
38…gxf5 39.c8Q Nxc8 40.Rxb3
The rest is a matter of technique.
40…Kg7 41.Rb8 Nd6 42.Ra8 Nb5 43.Rxa6 Nd4 44.Nf4 h6 45.e3 Nb5 46.Nh5+ Kh7 47.Nf6+ Kg7 48.Ne8+ Kg8 49.Ra5 1–0
The following is the attack Keymer had to endure from Richard Rapport in the last round.
Rapport, Richard (2715) — Keymer, Vincent (2403) [D54]
3rd GRENKE Chess Open 2018 Karlsruhe (9), 02.04.2018
1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Bg5 Be7 5.e3 h6 6.Bh4 0–0 7.Rc1 Nbd7 8.cxd5 exd5 9.Bd3 c6 10.Bg3 Re8 11.h3 Bb4 12.Nf3 Ne4 13.Bf4 c5 14.0–0 Bxc3 15.bxc3 Nb6 16.Ne5 f6 17.Ng4 c4 18.Bb1
Next move for White is f3, which is why Black must respond vigorously.
18…h5! 19.Nh2 g5 20.Qxh5 gxf4 21.f3 Nd6 22.Qh7+ Kf8 23.Qh6+ Ke7 24.Qg7+ Ke6 25.Rfe1 Re7 26.Qg4+ f5 27.Bxf5+! Nxf5 28.Qg6+
This is where White goes wrong. A better way to continue is 28.e4! Kd6 29.exf5 Rf7 30.Qxf4+ Kc6 31.Re5 and White is doing well with 4 connected passed pawns on the kingside.
28…Kd7 29.Qxf5+ Kc6 30.Qxf4 Be6 31.e4 Qg8 32.Qh6 Kc7 33.Kh1 Rf8 34.Re2 Rh7 35.Qd2 Kb8 36.Rce1 dxe4 37.fxe4 Bd7 38.Rf2 Re8 39.Qf4+ Ka8 40.Nf3 Rf8 41.Qh2 Na4 42.Re3 a6! 43.Qe5 Bxh3! 44.Kg1
[44.gxh3 Rxh3+ 45.Rh2 Rg3! threatening Rfxf3 followed by mate on g1]
44…Rg7 45.Nh4 Rxf2 46.Kxf2 Rxg2+ 47.Nxg2 Qxg2+ 48.Ke1 Qf1+ 49.Kd2 Bg4 50.Qe8+ Ka7 51.Qxa4 Qf2+ 0–1
Vincent Keymer was a bit fortunate that, because of his low rating, his GM opponents were all trying to beat him. In the year to come we will see how he grows — will he be able to defeat GMs who are content with a draw against him?
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
With exactly one minute left in the third quarter of yesterday’s do-or-die set-to between the Cavaliers and the Pacers, the 20,562 fans who packed the Q let out a collective gasp. The wine and gold were still leading, but they had seen the relentless visitors whittle down an 11-point lead to two, and the last thing they needed was bad news that indicated the slight advantage would turn into a permanent deficit. Unfortunately, they got it in the form of LeBron James, All-World megastar and resident one-man wrecking crew, heading to the locker room for an undisclosed reason. He planned to play for the entire contest because, well, he felt he had to, so his exit from the court was an unwelcome development.
For Cavaliers diehards, fewer scenarios can elicit thoughts of failure than that of James being unable to lead the Cavaliers’ charge, especially in an all-in Game Seven where playoff survival isn’t the only thing at stake. Early elimination for the first time in his storied career would likely prompt departure in June via free agency as well. Still, they clung to hope, if for no other reason than the absence of an alternative to bank on. The other supposed stalwarts were hitherto seen on milk cartons, beginning with All-Star Kevin Love (whose wrist injury reduced him to a poor second option) and ending with head coach Tyronn Lue.
As things turned out, relief would follow anxiety. James returned to the bench shortly thereafter, ready to check in but evidently requiring more rest after being treated for cramps. He headed to the scorer’s table with under 10 minutes left in the fourth quarter, but bought some more time to nibble on orange slices following the supporting cast’s surprising resurgence in his absence. When he finally resumed burning rubber with 8:25 remaining on the game clock, the lead he left at a basket had actually increased to three possessions.
Simply put, the Cavaliers’ supporting cast delivered under pressure, and they would remain solid until the final buzzer. Obviously fatigued, James put up mortal numbers in the crunch; he could do no better than produce two baskets along with three fouls and two turnovers. Meanwhile, those around him had enough to keep the Pacers at bay. It was about time; in the aftermath, he spoke of being gassed, a stunning admission given the constant pronouncements on his fitness.
Then again, James did just about everything in order to upend the Pacers. In playing 42 minutes per contest, he put up ridiculous numbers that advanced analytics pegged the finest by far of any marquee name in the postseason. And broken down to brass tacks, there is this: The Cavaliers were outscored by a whopping 40 points in the series. They had no business advancing to the conference semifinals. And that they are still alive in the 2018 playoffs is due to his heroics. He had to score in the 40s in three of their wins, and he wound up norming 32.7 markers, 10.3 caroms, and 7.8 dimes for the round (the blowout Game Six in which he sat out the entire fourth period included).
So, yes, James is better than ever, a striking revelation considering that he’s an old 33 wrapping up his 15th season in the National Basketball Association. On the flipside, his teammates are collectively worst than ever. He just put the finishing touches on a best-of-seven affair that had no other Cavalier net 20 points. Which is to say he will need to stay otherworldly from here on. He wants help to come, of course, but has to operate as if it won’t. No wonder he is, in his own words, “burnt.” Even the best of the best have their breaking points.
Anthony L. Cuaycong has been writing Courtside since BusinessWorld introduced a Sports section in 1994.
Entertainment company Wattpad looks to forge more partnerships for the adaptation of its content into other media as it expects an increase in its users in the Philippines.
Co-founder and CEO Allen Lau said they are in talks with a number of partners, including Globe Studios of Globe Telecom, Inc. and HOOQ, for adaptation of its story text into other media, like television and film. In January, Wattpad announced $51 million in funding from Kickstart Ventures Inc., the corporate venture capital arm of Globe; Tencent Holdings Limited; BDC; Peterson Group; and Raine.
“We have very close relationship with Globe, so at the minimum…we are working with Globe Studios and HOOQ,” Mr. Lau said in a media roundtable.
He however said that they are in talks with many other players and not exclusively with Globe. “There are so many players in this market. Despite the fact that Globe invested in us…we are not exclusively working with Globe. There are many players in the market…we are talking to everyone in the market.”
In 2014, Wattpad and TV5 Network Inc. established a deal to adapt Wattpad stories for television. The Wattpad Presents television series produced 250 episodes from 76 Wattpad stories.
Movies turned from Wattpad stories include She’s Dating the Gangster and Diary ng Panget.
With the funding from investors, Wattpad hired Dexter Ong, previously of 21st Century Fox Asia, to oversee a new office in Hong Kong for the company’s expansion in Asia, and for the adaptation of content to other media by Wattpad Studios with partners.
Wattpad operates the flagship Wattpad app, as well as Tap by Wattpad. Wattpad said it has around seven million monthly users in the Philippines, its second biggest market, only second to the United States. Wattpad has 65 million users globally, with 17 million in Southeast Asia.
Mr. Lau said he expects that the audience in the Philippines will increase in the coming years, with the takeup of phones and use of Internet, as well as the adaptation of Wattpad content into other media.
“Pretty much everyone will have access to data, or at least WiFi if without data, …I believe that alone will help increase our user base,” Mr. Lau said.
He said that the adaptation of Wattpad stories into film or web series will “create a halo effect.”
“As we see content, not just textual content, but content in other formats, it will create a halo effect.
The movie would bring people to read a Wattpad stories, that in turn will drive popularity of other stories, and more stories will be adapted.”
Wattpad is based in Toronto, Canada. Kickstart Ventures is a Globe subsidiary, backed by Ayala Corp. and SingTel. — Patrizia C. Marcelo
Complacency’s out, caution’s in.
Over the past two-and-a-half years, the rally in emerging markets seemed virtually unstoppable. Money managers brushed aside political and economic risks as a surfeit of cheap money led them to gloss over an impeachment here and a debt crisis there. The pursuit of juicier returns was paramount.
But this month has been a jolt. Stocks have erased $360 billion in value, sovereign dollar bonds are seeing the biggest losses this far into a year since at least 2003 and currencies are poised for the worst month since Donald Trump’s election as U.S. president.
All of a sudden, risks are coalescing and there’s a palpable sense that the era of easy money is nearing its end. Even the most ardent bull is turning selective.
“The search for idiosyncratic stories will continue and the ‘long-carry-and-buy-the-dip’ mentality will likely remain,” Bank of America Merrill Lynch strategists including David Hauner and Claudio Irigoyen wrote in a note. “Until it doesn’t.’’
Here’s a lowdown of what emerging-market money managers are paying attention to:
Treasury Yields
U.S. 10-year government-bond rates climbed above 3 percent last week for the first time in more than four years, reducing the allure of riskier assets. Emerging-market spreads are still wide, but losses in the past few days highlight the potential for capital flight.
Developing-nation currencies were largely immune when U.S. yields rose gradually last year, Credit Suisse analysts including Kasper Bartholdy said in a note last week. But the sudden moves this month and the belief that they “have the potential to go far” have changed that, they said.
Capital Economics’ John Higgins and Finn McLaughlin predict that the 10-year yield will climb to 3.5 percent by the end of 2018 and that “the prospects for emerging-market dollar bonds are even worse than those of Treasuries, as we expect credit spreads to rise substantially in the next couple of years.”
Dollar Moves
The correlation between Treasury yields and the dollar, which had been slipping for a year, is rising again. A stronger greenback is a “wild card” that could prove “highly disruptive for emerging markets,” the BofA analysts said.
It may be already happening. Central banks from Argentina to Indonesia have started selling reserves to protect their currencies. Standard Chartered Plc closed a long rand trade last week after a 4.1 percent loss that it said was worsened by higher U.S. yields boosting the dollar.
Trade War
Investors aren’t too worried that Trump’s rhetoric against America’s trade partners, including those in Asia, will upend emerging markets, according to BofA.
Still, “many are concerned that a major shift in thinking on China could lead to disengagement of both trade and investment of the U.S. from China,” said BofA. “The latter could have a much more negative impact on the market.”
Geopolitics
Russian assets have stabilized after the White House hinted it might ease the sanctions against oligarchs and companies seen as close to President Vladimir Putin that routed the ruble early this month. But the nation’s markets remain edgy.
Elsewhere, French President Emmanuel Macron said he thinks Trump will withdraw from the Iran nuclear accord. That prospect is already causing jitters among traders in Middle Eastern assets and has pushed oil prices to trade near their highest level since 2014.
And while Kim Jong-Un’s announcement that he’d freeze nuclear tests signals a detente over North Korea, Western officials caution there’s no guarantee he means it.
Elections
In India, growing anger against Prime Minister Narendra Modi over job losses and rape cases involving members of his Bharatiya Janata Party has made next month’s state election in Karnataka a referendum on his leadership. A poor showing by BJP could raise doubts about his chances in the 2019 polls and undermine investor interest in the $2.8 trillion economy.
In Malaysia, elections are due next month. A defeat for the ruling coalition would have significant implications for fiscal policy, Goldman Sachs Group Inc. analysts say.
Emerging-market investors are also watching Latin America closely. The Mexican peso has tanked since mid-April amid concerns leftist candidate Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador is gaining in opinion polls ahead of July’s elections.
In Brazil, investors have little idea what to expect from elections soon after that, given the country’s fragmented politics. A win by a candidate who’s less committed than current President Michel Temer to fiscal consolidation could cause shock waves.
Turkey’s snap election in June is more clear-cut: investors are certain President Recep Tayyip Erdogan will win. What’s less clear is what it would mean for monetary policy and the struggling lira. Credit Suisse and Ashmore Group Plc say getting the vote out the way will lead Erdogan to back off the central bank and allow it to prop up the currency.
TD Securities and Investec Bank Ltd. think otherwise, saying the decision to call an early vote shows Erdogan wants to tighten his grip on Turkey’s institutions and he won’t back down on his demand for lower interest rates. — Bloomberg
