Focusing on Davao’s indigenous faces

August 17, 2017 | 12:04 am

By Carmencita A. Carillo, Correspondent

DAVAO CITY – The 32^nd Kadayawan celebration kicked off at the Magsaysay Park on Monday, Aug. 14, with a new attraction: a village that showcases the 11 indigenous groups of this rapidly urbanizing city.

At the opening ceremony, dubbed Pag-abli sa Kadayawan, the different tribes played their music, performed their dances, and held sacred rituals for their respective hand-built houses in the Kadayawan Village.

The city’s 11 ethnolinguistic peoples – the Ata, Iranun, Kagan, Klata-Guiangan, Maguindanaoan, Maranao, Matigsalug, Ovu Manuvu, Sama, Tagabawa, and Tausug – who have roots and ties in different parts of Mindanao, also have on display their crops, clothes, and handicrafts.

Other festival highlights, as in previous years, include the fluvial float parade, a reenactment of the first Davao settlement along the Davao River where the 11 tribes also take center stage, and the Dula Kadayawan, an exhibition of tribal and Muslim traditional games, both of which will be held today.

The customary beauty contest for Philippine fiestas also takes on a more cultural color in the Hiyas sa Kadayawan wherein the contestants, most of them urban-based and living modern-day lifestyles, will be tested on their knowledge on their respective indigenous roots.

Kadayawan – whose name is derived from the old word madayaw which has a number of connotations that include “good,” “valuable,” and “beautiful” – is a celebration of Davao’s cultural diversity and rich natural bounty. Its forerunner was a 1986 program called Unlad Proyekto Davao, intended to unite Dabawenyos after martial law. The festival was then called Apo Duwaling, which stands for three of the city’s icons – Mt. Apo, the durian fruit, and the waling-waling orchid.

LESSONS FROM MARAWI
This year, the celebration takes on a deeper meaning in the context of the toll and lessons from the still ongoing armed struggle and humanitarian impact in Marawi City.

“Kadayawan is a recognition of, and a call for us to transcend boundaries, and show the world we are a diverse community working as one towards peace, inclusive growth and environmental protection,” Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio said at the July 3 launching of this year’s festival logo.

She reiterated this message at Monday’s opening ceremony, saying: “Let us not forget that despite our celebration, we have fellow Mindanaoans facing challenging times right now; let us pray they attain peace and unity.

“We are with you, we are one with you because we are one nation.”

More importantly, Ms. Duterte-Carpio continued, is that the city must go on in the face of the challenges and Davao must “soar high like the Philippine eagle.”

The city hopes this year’s Kadayawan Festival, more than ever, will depict Davao as home to diversity, strength, and progress.

“The goal is to show the world that it’s business as usual in the city,” Tourism Operations Office head Regina D. Tecson said.

STREET DANCING AND MORE
For the other annual spectacles – the Indak-Indak street dancing on the 19^th and Pamulak floral float parade on the 20^th – organizers are introducing innovations to make it more convenient and entertaining for visitors.

“The big difference for the Kadayawan this time is that the directorate has decided to put up a dome along San Pedro Street,” Ms. Tecson said.

The cover will be built beside the central Eagle Stage in front of the city hall to provide more shade for both participants and spectators.

Those who do not want to join the crowd at San Pedro can still watch the Indak-Indak performances at smaller stages that will be set up in near the Marco Polo Davao Hotel and the Apo View Hotel, where participating groups will be doing their routines en route to the main stage.

Davao City Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Inc. president Ronald C. Go, this year’s festival co-chairperson, said that in the face of outsiders’ anxieties over the declaration of martial law in Mindanao, Kadayawan would be an opportunity to show that all is well in the city.

He said: “It is life as usual and it is business as usual, and this is what we want to portray.”

The Kadayawan’s closing activities will be held on Aug. 20, and include a parade of floats and a concert of Mindanaoan artists in the evening.

Manila Water, IFC to explore opportunities

August 17, 2017 | 12:03 am

A UNIT of Manila Water Co., Inc. has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the International Finance Corp. (IFC) to explore opportunities to provide water, used water and environmental services in Southeast Asia and the Asia Pacific, the Ayala-led company said on Wednesday.

The subsidiary, Manila Water Asia Pacific Pte. Ltd., and IFC plan to jointly identify, evaluate, develop and implement projects that will benefit areas that urgently need sustainable water solutions.

“Manila Water plans to expand in South East Asia region having established a solid position in Vietnam as well as strategic inroads in Bandung and Yangon,” said Virgilio C. Rivera, Jr., president and chief executive officer of Manila Water Asia Pacific, in a statement.

“We hope to further leverage IFC’s regional network as we assess these new markets as well as engage new partners. We will continue to rely on IFC’s guidance on how to navigate these new markets,” added Mr. Rivera.

He noted IFC, the World Bank investment arm, had played a “catalyst role” during the initial years of Manila Water’s concession in Metro Manila’s east zone by providing debt financing and taking an equity position.

The company said IFC brings into the partnership its support in promoting sustainable private sector investment and forging ties to improve the lives of people in impoverished communities in developing countries.

“IFC will identify opportunities, as well as the prospective governmental entities, local partners, and project owners to whom Manila Water Asia Pacific may work and share their technical expertise,” it said. — Victor V. Saulon

Philippines ready for its own Silicon Valley — tech CEO

August 17, 2017 | 12:03 am

WHEN Mazhar Durrani, CEO of a Los Angeles-based tech start-up, was looking for markets to expand his business in Southeast Asia, the Philippines was nowhere on his list.

“Like any foreigner who had very little knowledge about the Philippines, I had this impression that it may not be a good place to do business. For one, there’s the issue of safety,” he told BusinessWorld.

Mr. Durrani, who has more than 30 years of IT experience under his belt, is the CEO of Virtalus, a two-year old tech start-up that offers scalable IT infrastructure services.

Virtalus, according to its Web site, offers “hyperconverged” IT infrastructure on demand, serving enterprises of all sizes and promising to deploy its services faster and significantly cheaper than the typical buy-and-build model. It’s based on a utility model, where customers have full control of how they manage or use the technology, Mr. Durrani explained.

“Unlike traditional storage and data centers, where companies need to invest in people and expensive infrastructure, what we’re offering is a simplified solution that allows our client to set up their own private cloud, where they pay only for what they use,” he said, adding that hyperconverged systems are 40% cheaper than traditional data center deployments.

While Virtalus is headquartered in Los Angeles, Mr. Durrani had set his sights on growing his start-up’s customer base overseas because “the US market is already overcrowded with far too competitive players.”

Within two years, Virtalus has established presence in Mexico, Finland, Malaysia and just recently, the Philippines.

The idea of coming to the country came about in 2016 when Mr. Durrani met with Mexico’s ambassador to the Philippines, Julio Camarena. Mr. Durrani said the ambassador, whom he regards as a long-time friend, “insisted” that he visit the Philippines and consider setting up shop in the country.

“I told him I wasn’t interested but he was very persistent,” he said. Without setting expectations, he accepted the envoy’s invitation and flew to Manila in August last year. What was originally planned as a one-week business trip “to see what the market looks like” became a three-week stay. Mr. Durrani said presenting his pitch to large corporations — and getting them to sign up as his clients in the process — made him realize the huge potential for his start-up to grow in the country. His Philippine clients include Black Cell Technology, Inc., the IT arm of Calata Corp., and Solid Group, Inc. the parent company of local smartphone brands myPhone and Brown.

“Companies [in the Philippines] are looking for opportunity to expand and they’re willing to take a chance and invest in technologies that enable them to do that,” he said.

After his trip, he flew back to Los Angeles then immediately came back to Manila. He spent the rest of year in the country, meeting with potential partners and distributors.

Mr. Durrani said he was impressed by the innovations that his Philippine clients, most of them from the tech industry, have introduced. One of them is Solid Group, Inc.’s Brown and Proud Movement, of which Virtalus is one of the technology partners. The concept of the Brown and Proud movement is to roll out smartphones, in this case a new line called Brown, that are pre-installed with an exclusive app that offers its members to earn money.

“The Philippines is a dangerous country in a sense that its people don’t know just how good they are,” Mr. Durrani said, referring not only to homegrown tech startups but also the country’s capable IT workforce that could entice foreign tech companies to consider relocating here.

“[The Philippines] has everything [a tech investor is looking for]: you have an English-speaking work force, the people are friendly, the culture is fantastic, and it’s easy to do business here. I won’t be surprised it becomes Asia’s version of Silicon Valley,” he said.

At the moment, Mr. Durrani said Virtalus is eyeing a Nasdaq listing to raise funding as he expands the start-up’s reach overseas and as the market for hyperconverged integrated systems (HCIS) continues to grow.

He seems to be on the right track. According to IT consulting firm Gartner, the market for HCIS will be worth $5 billion by 2019. It even calls HCIS the world’s fastest growing market for integrated IT systems and it predicts hyperconverged systems will become mainstream by the end of the decade.

“[Hyperconverged systems] can be likened to an iPhone. When you own an iPhone, or any smartphone, you don’t really need to worry about issues such as managing storage or customizing its features; whatever you need can be solved by downloading apps. That’s what hyperconverged systems can do to businesses, they simplify the process of managing IT infrastructure, enabling them to expand without making huge investments,” he said.

As for his next move, Mr. Durrani said he will wait and see if his business in the Philippines grows big enough that he would feel the need to set up an office here. He would occasionally fly out to meet with potential clients in other key cities in Southeast Asia but somehow he keeps coming back to Manila. “There’s a good market here,” he said. “[The Philippines] is a great place. I feel like I will be here for a very long time.” — MBG

Visayas regions to tackle power, transport connectivity in the central islands

August 17, 2017 | 12:03 am

EXPANDING transport links and strengthening power supply sharing are at the top of the agenda when the Regional Development Committee (RDCom) for the Visayas meets on Aug. 25 in Iloilo City. The RDCom — composed of the chairpersons, co-chairpersons, and vice-chairpersons of the Regional Development Councils from Western Visayas (Region 6), Central Visayas (7), and Eastern Visayas (8) — is also in the process of reorganization and will be electing a chairman during the meeting, which will be presided by Tacloban City Mayor Cristina Gonzalez-Romualdez, the designated transition chairperson. Among those invited are National Economic and Development Authority Undersecretary Adoracion M. Navarro; officials from the Department of Energy (DoE), Department of Transportation (DoTr), and National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP); and representatives of various air and sea transport companies such as Philippine Airlines, Cebu Pacific, 2GO and Fast Cat. — Louine Hope U. Conserva

10 canned wines taste-tested so you don’t have to

August 17, 2017 | 12:03 am

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GM eggplant completes latest field trials

August 17, 2017 | 12:03 am

By Carmencita A. Carillo
Correspondent

DAVAO CITY — Proponents of the Bt (Bacillus thuringiensis) eggplant are a step closer towards commercializing what they hope to be the country’s first genetically enhanced vegetable.

“In the Philippines we have completed the multi-location field trials in four provinces and we are preparing for submission and evaluation of the five inter-agency as ruled by the Joint Department Circular (JDC),” entomologist Lourdes D. Taylo, study leader of Bt eggplant and University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB) researcher, told BusinessWorld in an interview on the sidelines of the Biotechnology 101 & JDC public briefing held in the city on Aug. 16.

The multi-location field trials were conducted in Pangasinan, UPLB, Camarines Sur, and Kabacan, North Cotabato.

In an en banc ruling last year, the Supreme Court reversed its 2015 decision that stopped the field testing of Bt eggplant.

The SC granted nine motions for reconsideration filed by International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-Biotech Applications, Inc., the Environmental Management Bureau, Crop Life Philippines, the UPLB Foundation, and the University of the Philippines.

Following the court ruling, the JDC was issued by the Department of Agriculture (DA), along with the Departments of Science and Technology, Health, Environment and Natural Resources, and Interior and Local Government.

Ms. Taylo said the JDC put in place new requirements for the approval of genetically modified organisms (GMOs), which will be issued by each of the five departments. The approval must be unanimous.

“We have to submit our regulatory dossier to these agencies for a permit for food, feed and processing so we can get the seeds from Bangladesh since (the Bt brinjal variety) is already approved there,” she said.

India, Bangladesh and the Philippines engaged in Bt eggplant research, but only Bangladesh has so far approved, planted and brought the crop to the commercial production stage.

Bt eggplant proponents in the Philippines, Ms. Taylo said, have fully satisfied three of the four stages and requirements of biosafety of GM crops: contained trials in a research laboratory in 2007; single-location trial in 2008; and multi-location trials in four locations in 2013. The only thing that needs to be done is commercial cultivation.

With the conventional eggplant varieties vulnerable to the Philippine Fruit and Shoot Borer (FSB), farmers can experience up to 80% in crop losses. In Pangasinan farmers sometimes lose their entire crop.

Most farmers resort to insecticides, and run a high risk of skin disease and respiratory illness, according to Ms. Taylo.

“Eggplant farmers live near their houses so when they spray the chemicals, it can be inhaled by their families,” she said.

Planting Bt eggplant, she added, will address this threat and at the same time improve yields and profit.

A tax on calories?

August 17, 2017 | 12:03 am

I read with interest this paper’s report on the call of the Beverage Industry Association of the Philippines (BIAP) for Congress to lower the proposed tax on sugar sweetened beverages (SSB). BIAP understandably opposes Congress’s proposed P10 per liter tax on drinks with sugar, and P20 tax on beverages sweetened with alternatives like High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS).

BIAP instead proposes three options: the SSB tax must be based only on “caloric” sweetener content or the amount of sugar in beverages; or, the SSB tax can be limited to P10 per kilogram on all “caloric” sweeteners used in beverages; or, the SSB tax can be P5 per kilogram on all “caloric” sweeteners used as raw material in drinks, whether or not manufactured.

BIAP reckons that under its three proposed options, the SSB tax will not greatly increase the prices of items like soft drinks, 3-in-1 coffee, sweetened milk products, and other sweet beverages. On the other hand, Congress’s proposed tax rates of P10 and P20, based on volume, can make these products significantly more expensive.

Incidentally, I am opposed to Congress’s plan to tax sweet drinks, since I believe food and drinks should remain affordable and thus free from any excise tax. Moreover, I doubt that any tax on sugared or sweetened beverages will actually curb consumption, and meet its supposed twin objective of bringing down the number of cases of diabetes and obesity.

What I find interesting with the BIAP recommendations is that it seemingly excludes all “non-caloric” sweeteners and point only to “caloric” sweeteners like sugar. It appears that BIAP wants Congress to tax only sweeteners that provide calories, seemingly to the exclusion of artificial or zero-calorie sweeteners.

After all, if the SSB tax’s objective is to fight diabetes and obesity, then artificial sweeteners that do not provide the body any calories need not be taxed, right? BIAP, it seems, is promoting the concept of taxing the calories. The logic is that more sugar content means more calories, and thus greater risk of obesity and diabetes. And thus, the higher the tax. Logical?

My concern is that caloric sweeteners also mean “nutritive” sweeteners, or those that add to nutrition, considering that the human body also need sugars, which provide energy in the form of carbohydrates. On the other hand, non-caloric sweeteners are also “non-nutritive,” and it seems that BIAP wants the government to favor sweeteners that lack any nutritional value.

While I can accept the BIAP logic of taxing the calories, I am concerned that structuring the SSB tax this way can lead to a production shift to beverages with more non-caloric sweeteners, which are usually artificial. Examples of these sweeteners include Cyclamate, also known as Sucaryl; Saccharin, also known as Sweet N Low or E954; Acesulfame-Potassium, also known as Acesulfame-K, Ace-K, E950, Sunett, or Sweet-One; Aspartame, also known as Nutrasweet, Equal, or E951; Neotame; Sucralose; Stevia; and Monkfruit Sweetener.

Using the BIAP proposal, to avoid the SSB tax, and keep their products affordable, drinks manufacturers may be avoiding the use of sugar, whether locally produced or imported; and other “caloric” sweeteners like honey, sucrose, fructose (from fruits), and High Fructose Corn Syrup (which is derived from further processing corn starch into a sweeteners).

The BIAP proposal appears to sacrifice nutrition by favoring non-caloric or non-nutritive sweeteners. Moreover, while the plan may help contain obesity and diabetes, it may also lead to other health problems related to the extensive use of artificial sweeteners. They are plenty of studies and research findings on the harmful effects of both caloric and non-caloric sweeteners.

I don’t like the idea of taxing food and drinks. Except for tobacco or cigarettes, and alcohol or liquor, food and drinks and other consumables should be free from excise tax. And the same should go for sugars, natural or artificial; salts, and other ingredients in the production of food and drinks. The last thing the government should want is to make food and drinks less affordable for most people.

Also, why should the government favor artificial food over natural food, and impose this on people through tax? Even assuming both have harmful effects, wouldn’t we rather consume natural ingredients? And why tax sugar and other caloric sweeteners produced locally, and further marginalize our farmers, while exempting from tax non-caloric or artificial sweeteners produced abroad?

Moreover, do present levels of diabetes and obesity in the Philippines justify the imposition of an SSB tax? Can all diabetes and obesity cases be directly linked to the consumption of sweetened beverages? Are there more cases now related to what people drink rather than what they eat? Why is the tax targeting only sweetened drinks? Or, as BIAP wants it, only those drinks with nutritive sweeteners?

According to the Food and Nutrition Research Institute, local sugar consumption of 2% is actually below the recommended daily intake of 10%; per-capita sugar consumption reportedly peaked in 1996 and has been going down since then, stabilizing in 2010 at 1988 levels; and, Philippine sugar consumption at 22 grams per day is way below the US’ 126 grams, Japan’s 56 grams, and Brazil’s 47 grams. And China, despite a per capita consumption of only 15 grams, has a very high child obesity rate.

Frankly, I had expected BIAP to oppose the proposed SSB tax in whatever form or manner, given its potential adverse impact on industry sales. Consumers are up in arms against it, and rightly so. And senators, perhaps fearing the worst in the 2019 elections, have been weighing options carefully with respect to imposing new taxes.

I didn’t foresee BIAP suggesting, even remotely, to tax only drinks with caloric or nutritive sweeteners. I am uncertain as to what drives this consideration. Perhaps, by using non-caloric sweeteners, and keeping them tax free, BIAP members have better changes of retaining their present market share? Or, maybe, using non-nutritive sweeteners will keep production costs low?

The Senate, as it deliberates the tax proposals approved by the House, including the SSB tax, should get more help from health experts on this. Lawmakers should exert the effort to make a more informed decision particularly on the SSB tax. People need nutritious but affordable food and drinks.

Marvin A. Tort is a former managing editor of BusinessWorld, and a former chairman of the Philippines Press Council.

matort@yahoo.com

Kasparov suffers first loss in comeback event

August 17, 2017 | 12:03 am

ST. LOUIS — Chess legend Garry Kasparov on Tuesday suffered the first loss of his brief but highly anticipated comeback to the game, succumbing to fellow Russian Ian Nepomniachtchi and bringing his draw total to five.

After three draws on Monday, the 54-year-old former world champion — who dominated the game from 1985 to 2000 — had hoped to play “more aggressive” chess on day two of the Rapid and Blitz tournament in St. Louis.

But after drawing his first game Tuesday with Armenian world number four Levon Aronian, a contest that featured some gutsy moves from Kasparov and a few trademark death stares, he could not hold on against Nepomniachtchi.

At the day’s close Kasparov drew once more after going up against Viswanathan Anand of India, another “former” competitor and the only one present to have played against Kasparov when he ran the global chessboard.

“I haven’t played serious chess in 12 years, & haven’t missed as many opportunities as I did today in 15! Hoping to steady the ship tomorrow!” tweeted Kasparov at the end of the day.

“I was too democratic today. I made quite a few good moves, but spread them evenly among all three games instead of concentrating them!”

After his loss Kasparov’s fans, all hoping to see the brilliance that characterized his long career, said they were disappointed but still hopeful.

“It had to happen. But he is doing pretty well for a comeback against these new players,” said one fan, 42-year-old American Tracy Stewart. “He hasn’t been offensive enough.”

Kasparov, who left the game in order to pursue a career in politics, will need some wins if he wants to move up in the tournament rankings — he started Tuesday in 7^th position out of 10.

Victories would give his comeback some symbolic power — Kasparov would be seen as passing the torch to a new generation, albeit a generation still spellbound by his talent.

But those more youthful players seem determined to knock Kasparov from his pedestal.

On Tuesday neither his risks nor his intimidating glowering looks paid off.

American grandmaster Robert Hess had predicted a “tough day,” saying that “every opponent is extremely strong, so Garry will certainly need to bring his A game if he is going to try to score some victories.”

Though the winner’s purse in St. Louis is a not-too-shabby $150,000, Kasparov said he would donate any winnings to promote chess in Africa. — AFP

Everything is tactics

August 17, 2017 | 12:02 am

2017 Sinquefield Cup
Saint Louis, USA
July 31-Aug. 12, 2017

Final Standings
1. Maxime Vachier-Lagrave FRA 2789, 6.0/9

2-3. Magnus Carlsen NOR 2822, Viswanathan Anand IND 2783, 5.5/9

4-5. Levon Aronian ARM 2799, Sergey Karjakin RUS 2773, 5.0/9

6. Peter Svidler RUS 2751, 4.5/9

7. Fabiano Caruana USA 2807, 4.0/9

8. Hikaru Nakamura USA 2792, 3.5/9

9-10. Wesley So USA 2810, Ian Nepomniachtchi RUS 2751, 3.0/9

Average ELO 2787 Category 22

Time Control: 100 minutes for the first 40 moves, then 60 minutes play-to-finish with a 30-second time delay before every move.

The Frenchman “with three names,” Maxime Vachier-Lagrave, or MVL for short, beat Wesley So in the first round, the world champion Magnus Carlsen in the fourth and Ian Nepomniachtchi in the final round to finish with 6.0/9 (three wins six draws) and score the biggest tournament win of his life in the 2017 Sinquefield Cup.

Sinquefield also had a big effect on the Live Chess Ratings. After the concluding round here is the new world top 10:

1. Magnus Carlsen 2827

2. Maxime Vachier-Lagrave 2804

3. Vladimir Kramnik 2803

4. Levon Aronian 2802

5. Fabiano Caruana 2799

6. Shakhriyar Mamedyarov 2797

7. Viswanathan Anand 2794

8. Wesley So 2792

9. Alexander Grischuk 2783

10. Hikaru Nakamura 2781

Take note that MVL has climbed to no. 2 while Wesley So fell to no. 8.

Magnus Carlsen, Levon Aronian and Vishy Anand were all contending for the top honors and it was only after a last-round victory that Vachier-Lagrave could outdistance them. The French GM is currently the world’s best expert on the Sicilian Najdorf, and it is only fitting that the decisive last-round victory should feature that very opening.

* * *
Vachier Lagrave, Maxime (2789) — Nepomniachtchi, Ian (2751) [B92]
5^th Sinquefield Cup 2017 Saint Louis USA (9), 11.08.2017

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.Be2

This move, an old favorite of 12^th world champion Anatoly Karpov, is not so popular anymore. Loek Van Wely wrote a Chessbase DVD on the Sicilian Najdorf and covered 6.Bc4, 6.Be3 (the longest chapter), 6.Bg5, 6.h3 and various sidelines but not a single mention of 6.Be2!

MVL usually plays 6.Be3 not only to go into the English Attack lines, but oftentimes as a prelude to g2-g4-g5. The more positional 6.Be2 was definitely a surprise for Nepom.

6…e5 7.Nf3

An even bigger surprise. Retreating the knight to b3 is almost automatic in this position. Pushing f2-f4 is an important component of White’s plans in the near future so why is he voluntarily blocking his own pawn?

7…Be7 8.Bg5 Nbd7 9.a4

It was here that I realized Magnus Carlsen had used exactly this plan against MVL himself last June in the Paris Grand Chess Tour Rapid tournament, and re-used it against Ian Nepomniachtchi one month later during the Leuven Blitz event. He went a4-a5 followed by Nf3-d2-c4 to put pressure against d4. Magnus won both games quickly.

Perhaps MVL couldn’t find a solution and wanted to ask Nepom, the other Carlsen victim, what he had discovered since then.

9…0-0

The Magnus vs MVL game continued 9…b6 10.Nd2 h6 11.Bxf6 Nxf6 12.Nc4 Bb7 13.a5 b5 14.Nb6 Nxe4 15.Nxe4 Bxe4 16.Bf3 Bxf3 17.Qxf3 Ra7 18.c4! d5! 19.cxb5 Bb4+ 20.Ke2 Bxa5 21.Nxd5 axb5 22.b4 Bb6 23.Rxa7 Bxa7 24.Ra1 Bb8 25.Qd3 0-0! The game is dynamically equal. If White should take the pawn on b5 (which Magnus did actually but MVL did not respond correctly) Black has 26…Qh4! 27.g3 Qh5+ 28.Kf1 Qxh2 and has at worse a draw. Carlsen,M (2832)-Vachier Lagrave,M (2796) Paris 2017 1-0 (39).

10.Nd2 Nc5 11.Bxf6 Bxf6 12.Nc4 Be7 13.a5

All according to plan. In Magnus vs Nepom last July the game went 13.0-0 Be6 14.a5 Rc8 15.Nb6 Rc6 16.b4 Nd7 17.Nbd5 Bg5 18.Na4 Bxd5 19.exd5 Rc7 20.c4 e4 21.c5 dxc5 22.d6 Rc8 23.Bg4 cxb4 24.Bxd7 Qxd7 25.Nb6 White has the edge.Carlsen,M (2832)-Nepomniachtchi,I (2732) Leuven 2017 1-0 (34).

13…Rb8 14.Nb6 Nd7 15.Ncd5 Nxb6 16.Nxb6 Be6 17.Bc4 Qc7 18.Qd3 Bd8 19.c3 Qc6 20.Bd5! Qe8 21.Bxe6

Perfect timing. Now Black cannot take …fxe6 because his d6-pawn is en prise. He has to take with the queen and the hole on d5 becomes more pronounced.

21…Qxe6 22.Nd5 <D>

POSITION AFTER 22.ND5

The Chessbase Web site notes that MVL has “established a kind of control which was hard to believe. Do we not assume that these are the kind of strategically lost positions which every Russian schoolboy knows? Starting from this point, there was almost no analysis to be done, as Black’s position steadily seemed to go downhill, until things finally came to a head.”The stuff about the game being strategically lost for Black was a big revelation to me. Can this be true? Even the top computer engines give only a slight advantage for White.]

22…f5 23.0-0 Rc8 24.Rfd1 fxe4 25.Qxe4 Qf5

Exchanging queens will leave White with a better endgame but MVL, true to his nature, leaves the queens on the board so that he can work his tactical magic.

26.Qe2 Kh8 27.c4 Bh4 28.g3 Bg5 29.Ra3 Rce8 30.h4 Bd8 31.b4 Qg6 32.h5

Black misses his white-squared bishop and White takes advantage of the f5 square where his knight will be landing soon.

32…Qf5 33.Ne3 Qe6 34.Rad3 Be7 35.Nd5 Bd8 36.Rf3 Rxf3 37.Qxf3 Kg8 38.Kg2 e4 39.Qe2 Qe5 40.Ne3 Bg5? 41.Rd5 Qf6 42.Nf5 Re6

MVL had to calculate that 42…Re5 fails to 43.Nxd6! Rxd5 44.Nxe4 Qd4 45.cxd5 Qxd5 46.Qf3! winning at least a piece.

43.c5! dxc5 44.Qc4 Qf7

[44…cxb4? 45.Qc8+ Kf7 46.Rd7+ wins]

45.Rxc5 h6 46.Rc8+ Kh7 47.g4 Re7 48.Qd4!

Not 48.Nxe7? Qf3+ 49.Kg1 (49.Kf1 Qd1+ 50.Kg2 Qxg4+) 49…Qxg4+ 50.Kf1 Qd1+ with a draw.

48…Re6 49.Qd5 g6

Black cannot repeat with his draw trick of 49…Re7 because now White has 50.Qd8.

50.hxg6+ Kxg6 51.Rf8! Qxf8 52.Qxe6+ 1-0

Did you notice how tactics complemented Vachier-Lagrave’s strategical masterpiece?

A long time ago when we were just learning the moves of chess a few technical terms were explained to us: tactics is what you do if there is something to do and strategy is what you do when there is nothing to do. Now, with the evolution of chess style, things are not that clear. Players like Maxime Vachier-Lagrave with their mastery of the deepest chess tactics masquerade their style as strategical when in fact it is all tactics.

Remember the first Kasparov vs Deep Blue match in 1996 which Kasparov won three games to one with two draws? Kasparov wrote later for Time Magazine that Deep Blue shocked him in that first game by making a move with no immediate material advantage; nudging a pawn into a position where it could be easily captured. Later, he discovered the truth: Deep Blue’s calculation speed was so advanced that, unlike other computers Kasparov had battled before, this one could see the material advantage of losing a pawn even if the advantage came many moves later.

* * *
Comp Deep Blue — Kasparov, Garry (2795) [B22]
Philadelphia m Philadelphia (1), 10.02.1996

1.e4 c5 2.c3 d5 3.exd5 Qxd5 4.d4 Nf6 5.Nf3 Bg4 6.Be2 e6 7.h3 Bh5 8.0-0 Nc6 9.Be3 cxd4 10.cxd4 Bb4! 11.a3 Ba5 12.Nc3 Qd6 13.Nb5 Qe7 14.Ne5 Bxe2 15.Qxe2 0-0 16.Rac1 Rac8 17.Bg5 Bb6 18.Bxf6 gxf6 19.Nc4! Rfd8

[19…Nxd4? 20.Nxd4 Bxd4 21.Qg4+]

20.Nxb6 axb6 21.Rfd1 f5 22.Qe3 Qf6 23.d5!

This was the move Kasparov was talking about — computers are not supposed to make positional sacrifices. It turned out later that by calculating very deeply the computer had seen that Black cannot hold on to the pawn.

23…Rxd5 24.Rxd5 exd5 25.b3! Kh8 26.Qxb6 Rg8 27.Qc5

[27.Qxb7?? Qg5 threatening g2 and c1 at the same time]

27…d4 28.Nd6 f4 29.Nxb7 Ne5 30.Qd5 f3 31.g3 Nd3 32.Rc7 Re8 33.Nd6 Re1+ 34.Kh2 Nxf2

Threatening mate in 1 via …Rh1, but the computer had calculated everything to the end.

35.Nxf7+ Kg7 36.Ng5+ Kh6 37.Rxh7+ 1-0

Kasparov resigned after 37.Rxh7+ because 37…Kg6 38.Qg8+ Kf5 39.Nxf3 there is no more mate threat.

That is the new chess embraced by MVL, Aronian and a few others. Nothing is so clear-cut anymore. An early weakness created, a weak pawn lost, doubled pawns created, these do not necessarily lose the game anymore — they could be part of some obscure compensation the outlines of which we will see only after several moves have been played. As Nigel short said: “Modern chess is much too concerned with things like pawn structure. Forget it. Checkmate ends the game.” GM Soltis explains further: you don’t need to find 50 moves of finesse if you can end the game by the caveman method at move 25.

Chess, after all, can still be an exciting game.

Bobby Ang is a founding member of the National Chess Federation of the Philippines (NCFP) and its first Executive Director. A Certified Public Accountant (CPA), he taught accounting in the University of Santo Tomas (UST) for 25 years and is currently Chief Audit Executive of the Equicom Group of Companies.

bobby@cpamd.net

How to eat 110 hotdogs

August 17, 2017 | 12:02 am

LOOKING at Takeru Kobayashi’s slim frame, one hardly suspects that he can eat more than several men combined. In a compact frame that approximates 127 lbs. (according to his official website), he has stuffed himself full with 110 hotdogs, more than a hundred rice balls, 62 slices of pizza, and all other sorts of food, from pork buns to hamburgers, all within a span of a few minutes. Mr. Kobayashi has thus set several world records for himself, such as most hotdogs eaten in a span of 10 minutes.

Takeru Kobayashi-081717 — Takeru Kobayashi

In 2001, Mr. Kobayashi set his first world record when he ate 50 hotdogs in 12 minutes in New York, at Nathan’s Coney Island Hot Dog Eating Contest, when the previous record was 25.

Mr. Kobayashi was in Manila last week for History Con 2017, joining stars from the History channel. There, BusinessWorld sat with him and talked about his techniques, as well as the hidden thrills of stuffing yourself silly.

He was born in Nagano, Japan, in 1978, and according to his website, he lacked any outstanding talents – though downing 10 bottles of milk at school should probably count for something.

He doesn’t gain much weight, and is actually quite trim.

When asked how he trains for competitions, he said, “Three months before the competition, I drink a lot of water,” which stretches his stomach and increases its capacity. His interpreter said that he drinks water, slowly increasing its volume, until he can drink three gallons in 90 seconds.

“Right before the competition, I practice with hotdogs,” he said, and other foodstuffs – his other tips include folding a pizza in half, and eating the soft parts first, then moving on to the crust. “He will practice each food,” said his interpreter. “If it’s hotdogs, he practices how close his face is to the table, how fast his hand should reach, should the hotdog be sideways?”

“I have to chew first,” he said with a slight giggle. “I try not to chew a lot.”

When asked how he doesn’t increase in size, he said, “I don’t eat that much normally.”

While competitive eating may not be considered a sport, Mr. Kobayashi’s efforts have somehow elevated stuffing yourself into at least a skill. He is a celebrity in his own right in Japan, and has been referenced in movies and TV shows such as The Simpsons.

Mr. Kobayashi, surprisingly, compares eating to the adrenaline rush runners get once they’ve completed a certain distance, often called runner’s high. His interpreter said, “It’s not comfortable to run that much, but there’s a point where you’re just addicted to it.” – JLG

Sunvar says it will vacate Mile Long property

August 17, 2017 | 12:02 am

SUNVAR REALTY Development Corp. on Wednesday said it will vacate the Mile Long property along Amorsolo Street in Makati City, in compliance with a notice issued by a Makati court.

In a statement, Sunvar lawyer Alma Mallonga said it will comply with the Notice to Vacate issued by Makati Regional Trial Court branch 141 on Tuesday. The notice gives Sunvar, the company owned by the Rufino-Prieto family, and its tenants three days to leave the Mile Long premises.

The Makati RTC had issued the notice after the resolution promulgated by the Court of Appeals had directed it to enforce the 2015 decision of the Metropolitan Trial Court of Makati (MeTC) Branch 61, ordering Sunvar to vacate Mile Long and pay back rentals.

“While Sunvar has appealed the MeTC Decision, it is committed to abiding by the legal process,” Ms. Mallonga said.

Further, Ms. Mallonga maintained Sunvar entered into a “legitimate commercial transaction” for the lease of the undeveloped land around 35 years ago. She added the company has paid P16.8 million as advance rentals and “millions more” to build roads, buildings and infrastructure on the Mile Long property.

“It has pursued legal remedies to resist ejectment firmly believing there is a binding contractual commitment on the part of the government to honor a lease that is set to expire only in 2027. Sunvar understands that the government has taken an opposite view. Sunvar continues to have faith in the law and legal process,” the lawyer said.

BIR forms special team for Bautista couple tax violation probe

August 17, 2017 | 12:02 am

BUREAU OF Internal Revenue (BIR) Commissioner Caesar R. Dulay has created a special team to investigate possible violations of the National Internal Revenue Code by Commission on Elections (Comelec) Chair Juan Andres D. Bautista and his wife Patricia Paz C. Bautista, along with lawyer Nilo T. Divina and the Divina Law Firm, and the Luzon Development Bank (LDB). In a letter addressed to Justice Secretary Vitaliano N. Aguirre II, Mr. Dulay said he has assigned Glen A. Geraldino, director of BIR Revenue Region No. 8-Makati City, as coordinator of the special team. It was stated in the letter that the coordinator is authorized to call on other revenue officers for any assistance and to secure necessary and pertinent tax documents at the bureau. The investigation is in connection with the allegations of Mrs. Bautista that the Comelec chair has ill-gotten wealth, which are not indicated in his Statement of Assets and Liabilities. She alleged that her estranged husband has 35 multiple bank accounts at the LDB. — Mario M. Banzon

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