THE Philippines’ bid in the 2017 William Jones Cup in Taiwan begins this weekend with the country’s cause being carried this time around by Gilas Pilipinas.

TV5 will be bringing all nine games of Gilas live from the Taipei Peace International Basketball Hall from July 15-23 with livestreaming also available over Sports5.ph.

For this year’s edition of the annual international tournament, the Philippines will send its cadet pool backstopped by an import and some late additions.

The 16-man Gilas team, backed by Chooks-to-Go, is composed of Jio Jalalon, Mike Tolomia, Kiefer Ravena, Almond Vosotros, Matthew Wright, Ed Daquioag, Von Pessumal, RR Pogoy, Kobe Paras, Mac Belo, Kevin Ferrer, Carl Bryan Cruz, Raymar Jose, Fonso Gotladera and Christian Standhardinger.

Mike Myers, TNT KaTropa’s standby import in the recent Philippine Basketball Association Commissioner’s Cup, rounds out the team.

The Philippine national men’s basketball team will go up against Canada, Chinese Taipei A and B, Japan, Korea, Iraq, Lithuania, India and Iran.

Gilas Pilipinas looks to make it back-to-back titles for the Philippines and break a tie for second place with Iran with five Jones Cup titles. The United States has the most championships with 15.

In the 2016 Jones Cup, Mighty Sports carried the Philippine colors with its mix of imports and local pros.

The team was composed of Larry Rodriguez, Jeric Teng, Sunday Salvacion, Leo Avenido, TY Tang, Edrick Ferrer, Jason Brickman, Dewarick Spencer, Zach Graham, Mike Singletary, Troy Gillenwater, Vernon Macklin and Hamady N’diaye.

Mighty Sports finished with an unblemished 8-0 record en route to the title.

Gilas Pilipinas coach Chot Reyes said they are looking at the Jones Cup as a “training ground” for the Southeast Asia Games happening next month in Kuala Lumpur as some of their members for the Jones Cup are also seeing action in the SEA Games.

It is also an opportunity for the Gilas players to play in an “elite level of Asian competition,” Mr. Reyes said.

TV5’s coverage of the Gilas campaign in the 2017 Williams Jones Cup begins on Saturday, July 15, against Canada at 3 p.m.

The rest of the coverage is as follows: July 16, Chinese Taipei A at 7 p.m. (TV5); July 17, Chinese Taipei B at 3 p.m. (TV5); July 18, Japan at 1 p.m. (TV5); July 19, Korea at 5 p.m. (Aksyon TV with delayed telecast on TV5 at 9 p.m.); July 20, Iraq at 5 p.m. (TV5); July 21, Lithuania at 3 p.m. (Aksyon TV with delayed telecast on TV5 at 9 p.m.); July 22, India at 1 p.m. (TV5); and July 23, Iran at 5 p.m. (Aksyon TV with delayed telecast on TV5 at 9 p.m.). — Michael Angelo S. Murillo

Kiefer Ravena and the rest of the Gilas Pilipinas team begin their campaign in the 2017 William Jones Cup in Taiwan this weekend. TV5 will be broadcasting all their games in the eight-day tournament. — FIBA.COM

LONDON — Johanna Konta became the first British woman to reach the Wimbledon semifinals for 39 years on Tuesday, while five-time champion Venus Williams also made history as the oldest semifinalist since 1994.

Konta thrilled the patriotic Centre Court crowd with a pulsating 6-7 (2/7), 7-6 (7/5), 6-4 victory that ended second seed Simona Halep’s bid to become the new world number one.

In a potentially classic semifinal on Thursday, Konta faces American star Venus.

Williams had her own landmark moment on Centre Court with a 6-3, 7-5 win over French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko that made her the oldest semifinalist at the All England Club since Martina Navratilova 23 years ago.

Halep’s defeat means Czech Karolina Pliskova, who lost in the Wimbledon second round, will replace Angelique Kerber on top of the WTA rankings.

Konta, 26, is the first Briton since Virginia Wade in 1978 to make the women’s semifinals.

Wade, the last British woman to win Wimbledon in 1977, was watching from the Royal Box as Konta reached the second Grand Slam semifinal of her career, the other ending in a 2016 Australian Open defeat against Kerber.

“Right now it’s a little bit surreal just because it’s quite incredible how quickly things go in tennis. I’m definitely digesting things a little bit still,” said Konta, who was ranked outside the top 150 two years ago.

“I knew Simona was not going to give me much for free. I had to be the one to create my own chances. I feel fortunate enough that I took a few of them.”

Born in Australia to Hungarian parents, Konta didn’t move to England until she was 14, switching her allegiance from the country of her birth to Britain when she gained citizenship in 2012.

Adapting to the grass courts of south-west London hadn’t been so easy for Konta, who won just one match in her previous five visits to Wimbledon.

Those failures will seem a lifetime ago to Konta now.

If she wins Wimbledon it will be the first grass-court title of her career, coming just two weeks after she feared her participation in the tournament might be ruined by a back injury suffered in the Eastbourne warm-up event.

Standing in Konta’s way is world number 11 Williams, who was beaten in this year’s Australian Open final and is chasing a first major title since winning Wimbledon in 2008.

Williams, who reached the last of her eight Wimbledon finals in 2009, has now equaled her sister Serena’s total of 86 main draw match victories at Wimbledon, the most among any active player.

BEAUTIFUL GAME
“I love this game. That’s why I put in the effort and the time. It’s a beautiful game. It’s been so good to me,” said Venus, who is bidding to break Serena’s record as Wimbledon’s oldest champion in the Open era.

“The competition keeps you growing. You have to get better if you want to stay relevant. I love the challenge.”

Having stunned the tennis world by becoming the first unseeded player to win the French Open last month, Ostapenko was riding an 11-match winning streak at the majors.

But the 20-year-old was the youngest player left in the tournament and Venus has scythed through the draw by dispatching a series of opponents almost half her age.

Twenty years after making her Wimbledon debut, Venus was playing in her 100th singles match at the All England Club, while Ostapenko was in only her eighth.

That gulf in experience was apparent as Venus cruised through in serene fashion.

Garbine Muguruza powered into her second Wimbledon semifinal in the last three years with a 6-3, 6-4 win over Russian seventh seed Kuznetsova.

Since winning her maiden Grand Slam title at the French Open last year, Muguruza has struggled to return to the top and this is her first major semi-final since that Roland Garros triumph.

“I played good. I’m trying not to think a lot, just go for it and play my game. I’m happy it worked out,” Muguruza said.

Muguruza, beaten by Serena in the 2015 Wimbledon final, faces Slovakian world number 87 Magdalena Rybarikova in the last four.

Rybarikova became the lowest ranked woman to reach the Wimbledon semifinals for nine years as she shocked American 24th seed Coco Vandeweghe 6-3, 6-3.

The 28-year-old, who had lost in the first round in eight of her previous nine visits to Wimbledon, said: “I would never ever believe I could be in the semifinal before this tournament.

“I’m really speechless. I’m so happy and grateful.” — AFP

Johanna Konta — AFP

MANNY PACQUIAO is “not surprised” the World Boxing Organization (WBO) affirmed the loss of his welterweight title to Australian Jeff Horn, but the Philippine ring legend railed at large at judges who “manipulated results.”

The WBO ordered a review of the scoring of the July 2 Brisbane bout at the request of the Philippines’ Games and Amusements Board, which criticized the judges and the referee.

The WBO set up a panel of independent and anonymous judges to watch the bout without sound and determine who won each round. On Tuesday it said the judges found Horn won seven rounds to Pacquiao’s five.

“We have seen worse judgments in the past where judges manipulated results. Nothing surprises me now,” Pacquiao said in a statement late Tuesday.

He did not name the judges nor mention the specific fights in his allegations.

“Let the people judge for themselves. People saw what happened,” said the 38-year-old, who had won world titles in an unprecedented eight weight divisions.

The undefeated but unheralded Horn, 29, had stunned the Filipino legend with his ultra-aggressiveness to earn a unanimous decision.

But the Filipino’s camp alleged the referee let the Australian get away with illegal tactics.

The WBO ordered the review while stressing it did not have the power to reverse a decision unless fraud or law violations were proven.

Pacquiao had endorsed the call for a review issued by the Filipino sports regulatory, which lashed out at the “unfair decision and officiating” of the fight.

In a statement sent to AFP on Wednesday, the Filipino regulator thanked the WBO for looking into the fight but blamed American referee Mark Nelson for the results.

“No matter what review they do, it will be hard to change the result as the referee didn’t call it close,” said board chairman Abraham Kahlil Mitra.

“The judges’ scores would have greatly changed if the referee did his job properly,” Mitra alleged.

“He (referee) didn’t give (Senator) Manny Pacquiao the respect and fair protection that is due to a people’s champ,” Mitra said, referring to Pacquiao’s elected post as a Philippine senator.

Horn, a former schoolteacher written off before the bout by most observers, welcomed on Tuesday the ruling as “evidence” of his victory.

“It’s definitely nice to have it finally put on paper,” said Horn, who had been keen for a rematch.

In the twilight of a 22-year pro career, Pacquiao had initially called for a rematch, but later said he would also “think hard” about retiring.

Pacquiao briefly quit boxing last year to pursue his long-held political ambitions and was elected senator. But he quickly made a successful comeback against Jessie Vargas in November, saying he still felt like a youngster.

Pacquiao’s loss to Horn had prompted calls that he retire for good. — AFP

Manny Pacquiao of the Philippines (R) fighting Jeff Horn of Australia during their World Boxing Organization boxing bout at Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane on July 2. — AFP

LOS ANGELES — Floyd Mayweather and Conor McGregor lit the touchpaper for their cross-combat superfight here Tuesday, turning the air blue in an expletive-laden face-to-face meeting to launch their global promotional tour for the bout.

More than 11,000 fans crowded into Los Angeles’s Staples Center for a raucous first live showdown between former boxing world champion Mayweather and Irishman McGregor, one of the biggest stars of mixed martial arts.

The two men are set to face each other in Las Vegas on Aug. 26 in what could be the richest fight in history after finally agreeing to climb into a boxing ring following a year-long guessing game over whether they would ever do battle.

Tuesday’s fiery face-off saw the swaggering, cocksure McGregor strut onto stage confidently in a three-piece suit featuring pinstripes made up of an offensive two-word insult.

The immaculately tailored profanity set the tone for a spectacle shot through with an endless torrent of abuse from both fighters, no doubt delighting promoters as they drum up hype for a bout which will demand $10,000 for ringside seats.

The suited McGregor was the first to take the microphone, mocking Mayweather’s decision to show up wearing a Stars and Stripes tracksuit, suggesting it was linked to the American’s reported tax difficulties.

“He’s in a tracksuit, he can’t even afford a suit anymore!” McGregor declared to roars of laughter from the massed ranks of his green-shirted fans crammed into the lower tiers of the famous basketball arena.

McGregor, who will start as an overwhelming underdog against one of the most accomplished defensive fighters in history, was bullish about his prospects of victory. “The 0 has got to go,” McGregor declared, referring to Mayweather’s perfect 49-0 record.

“I’m going to knock him out inside four rounds, mark my words,” McGregor said, to more roars. “On Aug. 26, this man will be unconscious, he’s too small, he’s too frail.”

“I will come out and paint many pictures. I can fight in my styles. I can dazzle him.”

A stony-faced Mayweather, meanwhile, bided his time before taking the microphone and uncorking his own cascade of expletives.

“I’m going to knock this bitch out,” Mayweather said, to boos from the crowd. McGregor shot back: “You haven’t knocked anyone out for 20 years!”

Mayweather, meanwhile, responded to the jibes about his finances — he recently filed for an extension to pay his 2015 tax bill — by producing an uncashed check for $100 million from an assistant’s rucksack.

McGregor was again ready with a riposte: “Give it to the taxman!”

Mayweather, 40, was unruffled, vowing to administer a comprehensive victory over the 28-year-old Irishman despite giving away 12 years to his younger opponent.

“I’m not the same fighter I was 10 years ago. Or 5 years ago. Or 2 years ago,” Mayweather said.

“But I’ve got enough to beat you. He can choose which way he wants to go. Either on his back or on his face.”

Mayweather later appeared relaxed during a briefing with print reporters, suggesting his snarling braggadocio on stage had been solely for the benefit of the fans who had flocked to the arena.

“We have to give people what they want to see,” the former welterweight king said.

“That’s what the people wanted to see. To have a sold-out arena like today and give these fans something real smooth and calm? They don’t want that. That’s not what they wanted. These fans want entertainment. They got entertained today by both competitors.” — AFP

Chess Piece — Bobby Ang

(Conclusion)

Ms. Janelle Mae Frayna was born on May 19, 1996 in Legazpi City, Albay. She is the youngest of three siblings. Her brothers Jan Mari Felix and Don Mari Phil are both with the Philippine National Police. Her father is George Guillermo while her mother, Corazon Sonia Frayna is the genius in the family — she is an engineer, teacher with many other side professions — on top of that she passed six national eligibilities. She is the one Janelle points to as her role model. Corazon Sonia has stage 3 breast cancer but is fighting it very hard and her bravery has always been an inspiration.

When Janelle was 11 years old her older brother taught her chess. Let us listen to her story.

“Back then, I never knew that I would make a name because of ‘just’ playing chess. I attended elementary and half of my high school days in my hometown Legazpi City. At that time, I was a typical school kid driven to be the best in my class. I love competitions because they bring out potentials that we never thought we have!

“One thing that helped my progress in class and in chess is that whenever I set goals, I never cease until I reach it. Some people think that I’m too ambitious. But for me it’s not. Trying to outdo yourself and getting better each day is a matter of attitude. I always seek for improvement, because our life doesn’t end once we realize our dreams. I believe that as long as we’re breathing, there will always be a next level/next phase for us.

“Most Filipinos are die hard basketball fans. But chess? Ah ohhh. We do have great talents for the game but we fail to develop and sustain a strong chess culture. I share the advocacy of my coach Grandmaster Jayson, which is to promote chess professionalism in our country. He has the heart to help kids reach their full chess playing potentials. But there are resistance — from the parents, young kids themselves and even from the veteran players. I always hear from the old guys that Filipinos have innate gifts for the game, they say ‘likas na madiskarte tayo.’ Perhaps right, but it’s not just about talent. Talent alone can’t win championships.”

“I am a living testament of what hard work, dedication and faith can do to reach our dreams. I was 14 when I met Grandmaster Jayson. That was the first time that I have met a grandmaster. Wow! Honestly, I felt that grandmasters are like rare species of the world. No exaggeration but I felt so blessed to finally meet one.”

It is difficult to overestimate the impact GM Jayson Gonzales had on Janelle. He was coach of the FEU chess team, and a good one at that. Unlike some coaches who rely on pirating the top players of other schools, Jayson prides himself on developing his own talents. One day he noticed that one of his players in the FEU women’s squad was reading all the chess materials he distributed. He gave her some more and she devoured all of that as well. Clearly, Janelle Mae Frayna was serious at her chess. This was what started the collaboration between coach and pupil which continues up to this day.

In 2014, at the age of 18, she shocked everybody by qualifying for the Finals of the Philippine Chess Championship, men’s division, the first time a woman, let alone a teenager, accomplished this feat. An even bigger shock was in store for the finalists, as she beat International Grandmasters Joey Antonio and Richard Bitoon as well as International Masters Jan Emmanuel Garcia, Oliver Dimakiling and Joel Pimentel to finish in 4th place, qualifying her to represent the Philippines in the 2014 Tromso Olympiad.

* * *
2014 National Chess Championship
June 21-28, 2014

Final Standings
1-2. GM Eugenio Torre 2423, GM John Paul Gomez 2526, 7.5/11

3. FM Paulo Bersamina 2118, 6.5/11

4-7. WFM Janelle Mae Frayna 2133, GM Darwin Laylo 2508, IM Jan Emmanuel Garcia 2390, GM Rogelio Antonio, Jr. 2517, 6.0/11

8. GM Rogelio Barcenilla 2475, 5.5/11

9-10. IM Oliver Dimakiling 2373, GM Richard Bitoon 2423, 5.0/11

11-12. NM Roel Abelgas 2319, IM Joel Pimentel 2286, 2.5/11

Here is her memorable game against GM Antonio.

* * *
Frayna, Janelle Mae (2133) — Antonio, Rogelio, Jr. (2517) [A04]
NATIONAL Championships, 23.06.2014
[WGM Janelle Mae Frayna]

1.Nf3

I was inspired to play Nf3 all throughout the tournament since it gave me a lucky win against GM Bitoon.

1…b6

A rare response perhaps he was thinking to counter my usual fianchetto setup of g3, then Bg2 with his Bb7.

2.e4!

Exclamation for the courage. At that time, I was not an e4 player but the ensuing battle transposes to its territory which is the Owen’s defense.

2…Bb7 3.Nc3

I won’t pretend to know the opening theory of this game, but I was just following simple chess principles of optimum piece development.

3…e6 4.d4 Bb4 5.Bd3 Nf6 6.Qe2 d5 7.exd5

After the game I found out that this is the most popular move in the given position. 7.e5 is the latest trend. 7…Ne4 8.0 — 0 Nxc3 9.bxc3 Bxc3 10.Rb1 Nc6 11.Rd1 (11.Qe3 Bb4 12.Qf4 Qd7) 11…Qd7 12.Ba3 Nxd4 13.Nxd4 Bxd4 14.c3 Bxc3 15.Rbc1 Ba5 16.Rxc7 Qxc7 17.Rc1 Qxc1+ (Forced. 17…Qb8 18.Bb5+ Kd8 19.Qh5 Black is getting mated) 18.Bxc1 0 — 0 — 0 19.Ba3 Kb8 20.Qf3 Rd7 21.Bd6+ Ka8 22.Bb5 Rc8 23.h3 Bc6 24.Ba6 Rcd8 25.Qd3 g6 26.Qc2 Bb7 27.Bb5 Rc8 28.Qa4 Rdd8 29.Qh4 a6 30.Bd3 Rd7 31.Qxh7 b5 32.Qh4 Bc7 33.Bxc7 Rdxc7 34.Qf4 Rc1+ 35.Kh2 R8c7 36.h4 R1c3 37.Qd4 R3c4 38.Qb6 Rc8 39.g3 Ra4 40.Kh3 Rxa2 41.Kg4 Rc6 42.Qd8+ Ka7 43.Qf8 Rxf2 44.Bxg6 fxg6 45.Qxf2+ Rb6 46.Kf4 b4 47.Ke3 b3 48.Qb2 a5 49.g4 Rb4 50.h5 gxh5 51.gxh5 d4+ 52.Kd3 Bf3 53.h6 Bd1 54.Kd2 Bc2 55.Qa1 Kb6 56.Qh1 b2 57.Kxc2 b1Q+ 58.Qxb1 d3+ 59.Kc1 d2+ 0 — 1 (59) Pavlovic,M (2522)-Minasian,A (2578) Moscow 2008.

7…Nxd5 8.Bd2 Nxc3 9.bxc3 Be7 10.0 — 0 0 — 0

Position is equal.

11.c4N

[11.Ne5 most popular continuation]

11…Bf6 12.c3 Nd7 13.Be4 Bxe4 14.Qxe4 e5 15.Rad1 exd4 16.cxd4 Re8 17.Qg4

Trying to retain the queen’s active position.

17…Nf8 18.Rfe1 Qd6

Objectively, the position is equal, but there are some positional nuances that we have to take into consideration, specifically on the pawn structures of both sides.

19.Bg5

[19.d5 Rxe1+ 20.Rxe1 b5 21.Bf4 Qc5 22.cxb5 Qxd5 23.Bxc7 Qxb5 equal]

19…Bxg5 20.Qxg5 Ng6 21.Qb5 c6 22.Qf5 Rad8 23.h4

A typical move discussed in the 45 techniques of positional chess by IM Valeri Bronznik — knight restriction.

23…Rxe1+ 24.Rxe1 Qb4 25.Qg5 f6 26.Qc1 Qa5 27.Qb1 Nf8 28.Re7 Qa3?!

[28…Qa4 29.c5 Ng6 30.Re4 equal]

29.Re3

Better was 29.Qe1 with sole command of the lone open file, but I was inviting for repetition of moves. I want to test if he was satisfied with a draw or wanted to play on.

29…Qa4 30.Qc1 c5 31.Ra3 Qd7 32.d5

A potentially dangerous passed d- pawn.

32…Qg4?

Better was 32…Re8 33.Re3 with only a slight advantage for White.

33.Rxa7 Re8 34.Ra3 Re4 35.Re3?!

Another proof of my cautious attitude. Passed pawns musts be pushed! 35.Qd2 Rxc4 36.d6 Qd7 37.Re3 Qc6 38.Re7 Nd7 39.Qd3 Rc1+ 40.Ne1 c4 41.Qg3 g6 42.Qf4 Rd1 43.Qh6 with a winning position.

35…Rxc4

[35…Rxe3 36.fxe3 Kf7 and again there is only a slight advantage for White.

36.Qd2 <D>

36…Qf5?

This careless move turns the game into a loss. He should have blocked the White rook with 36…Re4.

37.d6!

I say it again — passed pawns must be pushed!

37…Qc2?

GM Joey panics when he realizes that 37…Nd7 38.Re8+ Kf7 39.Re7+ Kg8 40.Qe3 wins for White. A better move would have been 37…Rc2 although 38.Qd1 Rb2 39.Kh2 still retains the advantage.

38.Qd5+ Kh8 39.Qf7 h6 40.Qxf8+ Kh7 41.d7

Other winning moves were of course possible but I was too excited on pushing this pawn and for my rook to invade the 7th rank! I felt extreme happiness during the game — who would have thought that I would have a winning position against the 12-time National Chess Champ!

41…Qd1+ 42.Kh2 Qxd7 43.g3?!

Inconsistent with my plan! For some reason I didn’t play 43.Re7 Qg4 (43…Qd6+ 44.g3+ — ) 44.Ng5+ which forces mate.

43…Rc2 44.Kg2 Rxa2 45.Re7 Qg4 46.Qxf6?

[46.Ng5+ would have ended the game one move earlier.]

46…Ra8 47.Ng5+ 1 — 0

On Tuesday, I will show you the Memorable game against GM Richard Bitoon.

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