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Nationwide round-up

Local governments given 60 days to clear roads, sidewalks


THE DEPARTMENT of Interior and Local Government (DILG), following a directive from the President during his State of the Nation Address last week, has released a memorandum circular directing all local government units (LGUs) to clear all roads and sidewalks from obstructions, such as illegal vendors and illegally-parked vehicles. DILG Secretary Eduardo M. Año said the 60 days period given to officials starts July 29. “Ang ating (Our) countdown starts today,” he said in a press conference on Monday. The memorandum states: “Within 60 calendar days, significant results must be achieved, documented, and reported together with the efforts of the LGUs to sustain the same.” Following the directive, the National Capital Region Police Office said they will provide additional forces to help barangay tanods (watchmen) in ensuring the implementation of the order. “We will provide the necessary police force… so even at night time, we will increase the number of police personnel to provide assistance to barangay tanods and other force multipliers to see to it the policies and guidelines will be implemented,” said NCRPO chief Maj. Gen. Guillermo T. Eleazar. The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA), meanwhile, expects that the clearing operations will open more routes for vehicles. “Lahat ng kalsadang pwedeng idagdag sa dami ng sasakyan ay malaking tulong (All roads that could be added in view of the volume of vehicles would be a big help). Just imagine our alternate routes, more than 20% niyan ay ‘di madaanan (of those are obstructed),” said MMDA General Manager Jose Arturo S. Garcia Jr. Local chief executives who fail to implement the order could face a two-month preventive suspension and administrative charges. — Vince Angelo C. Ferreras

4 KAPA officials fail to file counter-affidavit as preliminary investigation resumes

THE DEPARTMENT of Justice (DoJ) resumed on Monday its preliminary investigation into the complaint filed by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) against Kapa-Community Ministry International, Inc. (KAPA) over its alleged investment scam. Through their legal counsel, KAPA’s founder, Joel A. Apolinario, Corporate Secretary Reyna L. Apolinario, Rene Catubigan, and Catherine Evangelista submitted their joint counter-affidavit to the prosecution panel. The SEC has been given until Aug. 5 to submit its reply to the counter-affidavit. Four other respondents in the complaint who have yet to submit their counter-affidavits are trustee Margie A. Danao, Marisol M. Diaz, Adelfa Fernandico and Moises Mopia. The SEC recommended the charging of KAPA and its eight officials for violating provisions of the Securities Regulation Code. The corporate regulator said the organization’s “donation” and “blessing” scheme is the same as selling or distribution of securities in the form of investment contracts. SEC revoked KAPA’s registration last April 3. A freeze order was also secured from the Court of Appeals against its bank accounts and assets. The National Bureau of Investigation and three KAPA investors also filed a syndicated estafa against the organization and its officers. — Vann Marlo M. Villegas

Koepka dominates one-sided bout with McIlroy in Memphis

MEMPHIS — What loomed as a blockbuster bout between two four-times major champions ended up a technical knockout as Brooks Koepka floored Rory McIlroy on the way to a three-stroke victory at the WGC-St. Jude Invitational in Memphis on Sunday.

Koepka had McIlroy reeling with early blows in the final round and never eased up on his out-of-sorts rival at TPC Southwind as he underlined his world number one status.

The American sank a series of clutch putts and carded a five-under 65 for his first victory in the World Golf Championships series.

“I’ve been playing so well as of late and everything just kind of comes if you let it happen and stay patient,” said Koepka.

After starting the final round a stroke behind McIlroy, Koepka finished at 16-under 264, notching his third PGA Tour victory outside the majors.

On top of the $1.745 million winner’s cheque, he also picked up a $2 million bonus as winner of the regular season points race.

It was the first time Koepka and McIlroy had been paired in a final round, raising hopes of a day-long duel.

But McIlroy missed a short birdie putt at the third hole from inside four feet and never recovered.

The Northern Irishman failed to birdie until the 14th hole in his round of 71 and finished equal fourth, five shots adrift of Koepka.

American Webb Simpson (64) claimed second place on 13-under, a stroke ahead of Australian Marc Leishman (67).

Koepka won the PGA Championship in May for his fourth major title in less than two years, and if not for an uncooperative putter, he might have challenged Shane Lowry at last week’s British Open.

The 29-year-old hit a couple of loose shots early on Sunday but chipped and putted precisely, and three birdies were enough for a three-shot lead over McIlroy at the turn.

“These last few years have been unbelievable. It’s been an incredible run,” said Koepka, who spoke of his record of nine runner-up finishes.

“Every time I come second I’m learning something, watching the guy who wins if I’m playing with him, or trying to figure out how I handle shots under pressure.

“I’ve come into my own, figuring out my game, especially under the gun.” — Reuters

Gasoline price drops P.90/L, other fuel products up

OIL COMPANIES are cutting the prices of gasoline products this week by P0.90 per liter (/L), while slightly increasing those of diesel and kerosene. Based on their advisories, most of the companies are implementing the price adjustment at 6:00 a.m. on Tuesday, July 30. Diesel will increase by P0.15 per/L, while kerosene by P0.10/L. Ahead of them, Phoenix Petroleum Philippines, Inc. announced on Saturday a decrease in the price of gasoline by P1.00/L. It did not announce any adjustment for the other petroleum products. The company implemented the price cut at 6:00 a.m. on Sunday. Last week, oil companies cut the per liter prices of gasoline, diesel and kerosene by P0.25, P0.20 and P0.40, respectively. — Victor V. Saulon

2 Itbayat health facilities damage cost at P47M

THE TWO main health facilities in Itbayat could not be used in the aftermath of the twin earthquakes that struck the island Saturday, with total damage estimated at P47 million, according to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC). In its situational report as of Monday, the NDRRMC said cracks were reported on the Itbayat District Hospital and the Itbayat Rural Health Unit and “both hospitals are no longer functional due to the continuous aftershocks.” President Rodrigo R. Duterte, during the briefing in Itbayat Sunday afternoon with officials of local government units and national agencies, pledged the release of P40 million for the island’s hospital. In the meantime, Department of Health officials reported that doctors from Tuguegarao are going to Batanes to help tend to the seriously injured who have been airlifted to the hospital in Basco island. A team of medical, mental health, and psychosocial support staff will also provide assistance to affected residents.

San Miguel fashions out major comeback to bury Rain or Shine, 2-0

By Michael Angelo S. Murillo
Senior Reporter

THE San Miguel Beermen are a win away from a finals return after fashioning out a major comeback against the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters, 117-105, in Game Two of their best-of-five Philippine Basketball Association Commissioner’s Cup semifinal series on Monday at the Mall of Asia Arena.

Down by as much as 29 points at one point in the second quarter, the Beermen, the Philippine Cup champions, channelled the unstoppable when they found their collective groove on their way to the big victory that pushed them to a commanding position to vie for a second straight PBA title this season.

Rain or Shine had a massive first quarter, riding a solid 61% shooting (7-of-13) from beyond the arc to make their way to a 34-13 advantage at the end of the first quarter.

The Elasto Painters continued to pour it on the Beermen to begin the second quarter, stretching their lead to 29 points, 47-19, by the 9:28 mark of the frame.

San Miguel then made its move back after, led by the triumvirate of Christian Standhardinger, Chris Ross and import Chris McCullough.

They would outscore the Elasto Painters, 30-5, the rest of the quarter to be down by just three points, 52-49, at the halftime break.

Getting the leverage they needed in the game, the Beermen came out shooting in the third period.

San Miguel overtook Rain or Shine, 61-60, after two free throws from Alex Cabagnot at the 7:20 mark before exploding some more on the lead of Messrs. Ross and McCullough.

When the quarter smoke cleared, the Beermen outscored the Elasto Painters, 40-21, to go on top, 89-73, heading into the final quarter.

In the fourth period, San Miguel spent much of the time fighting off any attempt from Rain or Shine to rally back.

James Yap drained some baskets to give the Elasto Painters hope but their effect was kept to a bare minimum by the Beermen who stood firm all the way to the end to close the game.

Mr. Ross paced the Beermen with a career-high 34 points, going 10-of-16 from three-point land, to go along with eight assists.

Mr. McCullough had 22 points, 11 rebounds and six assists while Mr. Cabagnot finished with 17 points and seven dimes.

Mr. Standhardinger had 15 points with June Mar Fajardo adding 14 points and 15 rebounds for San Miguel.

For Rain or Shine it was import Carl Montgomery who led with 24 points, 15 rebounds and six assists.

Rey Nambatac had 15 points with Ed Daquioag and Mr. Yap adding 13 and 12 points, respectively.

“We were missing shots early but we just kept shooting. We’ve been through many situations before and nothing really rattles us,” said Mr. Ross in the postgame interview.

Game Three of the semifinals between San Miguel and Rain or Shine is on Wednesday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

Tacloban City enforces street, sidewalk clearing

TACLOBAN CITY, the regional center of the Eastern Visayas Region, started clearing sidewalks and streets from obstructions last week, ahead of the President’s order to local government officials, also made last week, to strictly implement the country’s road laws. A statement from the City Information Office said the clearing operations was initiated in line with the local government’s earlier announcement that starting Aug. 1, there will be a crackdown on sidewalk and ambulant vendors without business permits. Members of the Traffic Operation Management Enforcement and Control Office (TOMECO) and the City Engineer’s Office (CEO) have been going around the city to inspect structures. They have also been ordering owners to remove obstructions on public spaces, including canopies and illegal fences. Among the areas covered starting last July 22 were Barangay 36 Sabang and 37 Sea wall Reclamation Area, Salazar and Sta. Cruz Streets, and Sagkahan District. The Business Permits and Licenses Division, meanwhile, held a meeting last Friday with ambulant vendors. The TOMECO and CEO teams have also been issuing citation tickets to illegally-parked vehicles. Mayor Alfred S. Romualdez, in a statement on his Facebook page, appealed to the public to cooperate with the clearing operations “for the continued improvement and development of Tacloban.” He said in Filipino, “Let us help each other, let us follow the laws.”

Kingad, Banario tout being part of Team Lakay

HAVING SPAWN world mixed martial arts champions in various global organizations, Baguio-based Team Lakay has rendered itself, consciously or otherwise, as the de facto face of the local MMA scene.

While it is quick to say that such is not the case, still the significance of its standing in Philippine MMA is not lost to its members, who have expressed how proud they are to be part of the group.

Among those basking in being a Team Lakay athlete are flyweight Danny “The King” Kingad and lightweight Honorio “The Rock” Banario, who both acknowledge the role their team has played in molding them not only as martial artists but as individuals as well.

Incidentally, both Messrs. Kingad and Banario are to see action on Aug. 2 at ONE Championship’s “Dawn of Heroes” event here in Manila along with stable mates Eduard “Landslide” Folayang, Geje “Gravity” Eustaquio and Edward “The Ferocious” Kelly.

Mr. Kingad, who is set to face Australian Reece “Lightning” McLaren in a ONE world flyweight grand prix semifinal match, shared how it has been “night and day” for him since joining Team Lakay.

“Being a member of Team Lakay has played a huge factor in my improvement, not only as an athlete but as a human being as well,” said Mr. Kingad, who holds a record of 10 wins and one loss.

“Prior to joining the team, I knew very little about martial arts apart from the basic kicks and punches. Under the guidance of my coach, I learned proper execution as well as other skills such as grappling, submission wrestling, fluid striking, and others,” he added.

He went on to say that he could not imagine where he would have ended up had he not joined the team.

“When I was young, I was in a very bad crowd and it had a negative impact on my life. Team Lakay helped me out of that dark place and taught me values like respect and honor, and I generally became a better person,” said Mr. Kingad, who is riding a five-fight winning streak after absorbing his first career defeat.

For Mr. Banario (14-8), Team Lakay has done wonders in his MMA career, crediting his coaches and teammates for where he is right now in the game.

“Coach Mark always plans our daily training menu with our efficiency and safety in mind,” Mr. Banario said, referring to Team Lakay coach Mark Sangiao, who has been looking after their growth and welfare since the start.

And the kind of training regimen they are having is significant, said Mr. Banario, more so since the ONE Grand Prix has been hit with high-profile injuries and pullouts.

Mr. Banario was supposed to face Russian Timofey Nastyukhin in the semifinals but was eventually left off it after the latter pulled out because of injury.

Instead, Mr. Banario will face Korean Dae Sung Park in a lightweight clash in the preliminary fights.

Nonetheless, Mr. Banario, the former ONE featherweight champion, said his mindset is still the same and is out to book a win.

“This is the perfect opportunity for me to win. It is unfortunate that great athletes are getting injured and even though I’m out of the tournament, I will be doing my best to win on behalf of them as well as all the fans who are supporting us in my upcoming match,” he said.

Both Messrs. Kingad and Banario said they are excited to take the fight stage with their other Team Lakay mates and see it working to their advantage.

ONE: Dawn of Heroes is to be headlined by the world featherweight championship fight between Vietnamese-Australian champion Martin Nguyen and Japanese challenger Koyomi Matsushima.

Co-headlining it is the flyweight muay thai world championship fight of champion Jonathan Haggerty of England against Rodtang Jitmuangnon of Thailand. — Michael Angelo S. Murillo

Royal Mandaya Hotel allots P50M for refurbishment

THE ROYAL Mandaya Hotel, one of the oldest and biggest in Davao City, is continuing with its refurbishments, allocating another P50 million to improve facilities. One of the planned renovations is setting up a new space for its spa. Benjamin J. Banzon Jr., hotel manager, told BusinessWorld the hotel management is embarking on improvements “as part of its contribution to the growth of the (city’s tourism) industry.” The 181-room hotel has renovated its function halls, ballrooms, and the rooms. Meanwhile, the hotel’s owners, the Escandor family, are still exploring possibilities on the development of its other property, the Royal House, which was purchased two years ago from the family of the late speaker Prospero C. Nograles. “They have not decided yet,” Mr. Banzon said. Among the options, he added, is expanding the existing building or setting up a condominium. Davao City Tourism Operations Officer Regina Rosa D. Tecson welcomed the new investment for Royal Mandaya. “Our hotels also need to provide better experience to our visitors for them to visit again,” she said. The city recorded 1.2 million visitors in the first half of the year. — Carmelito Q. Francisco

Nerza and Hallasgo top the Milo Marathon Manila Elims

MARATHON newcomer Anthony Nerza and back-to-back Manila champion Christine Hallasgo stamped their athletic mettle at the Milo Nutri-Up 42K centerpiece event after beating almost 2,000 elite runners at the Metro Manila Eliminations of the 2019 National Milo Marathon this Sunday.

Christine Hallasgo outraced its top competitor April Rose Diaz throughout the race to win the women’s division with a time of 3:06:28, while newcomer Anthony Nerza nabbed his debut marathon win in the men’s top honor with a clocking of 2:32:50.

Around 30,000 runners from the 3K, 5K, 10K, 21K and 42K races gathered to join the country’s longest and biggest footrace series which started and ended at the SM Mall of Asia Grounds in Pasay City. Participants were in high spirits over the overcast weather, making this year’s Manila race a perfect day for a morning run.

Winners Nerza and Hallasgo will each take home the top purse of P50,000.00 in cash and a trophy, and booked their slots to the National Finals in Tarlac City on January 2020 to try and claim the Milo Marathon King and Queen titles.

In the coming months, the 26-year-old mother of one will set her sights for the SEA Games after qualifying for the 10K event in the National Games that took place in March. But with her newfound victory, she may also consider to vie for the marathon event if given the chance. “Pag-uusapan pa po namin ni Coach Buenavista kung ano po ang okay sa akin,” she said.

Completing the women’s division podium finishes, second runner up Ms. Rose Diaz clocked in with the time of 3:15:05, placing Maricar Camacho to a far third with the time of 3:26:03.

On the men’s side, it’s a different story for 29-year-old Nerza when the race broke out at the gun start. The Davao native had a different approach in relegating his opponents, most especially Jeson Agravante who came in third place.

Succeeding Nerza in the second place is Richel Laguido who finished with the time of 2:36:43, followed by Jeson Agravante with the time of 2:38:48.

Joining the Manila leg festivities was Milo Nutri-Up Ambassador Solenn Heussaff who handed out trophies to the winners at the awarding ceremonies.

Intensifying its advocacy in getting more children into sports, MILO along with Philippine Athletics Track and Field Association (PATAFA), have introduced a new innovation at the event with the Run, Jump, Throw program. The activity is designed to help prepare the physical readiness of children for them to engage in other sports.

The action continues in Subic Bay Freeport Zone (Aug. 4), Lingayen (Aug. 18), Lucena (Sept. 15), Batangas (Sept. 22), Cebu (Sept. 29), Iloilo (Oct. 6), General Santos (Oct. 13), Davao (Oct. 20), Cagayan De Oro (Nov. 17), and in Tarlac for the National Finals on Jan. 19, 2020.

‘Coco’ makes Washington main draw, will face Diyas in first round

WASHINGTON — Cori “Coco” Gauff on Sunday made it through to the main draw of the Citi Open in Washington, needing barely an hour to win her final qualifier.

She will play 84th-ranked Zarina Diyas of Kazakhstan in the first round in what will be Gauff’s third tournament appearance in the main draw.

Gauff, 15, last month became the youngest woman in the professional era to make the Wimbledon main draw.

She beat Venus Williams before losing in the fourth round to eventual champion Simona Halep.

Gauff had to get through two rounds of qualifying this weekend and she was barely troubled in either, beating American Maegan Manasse and then Japan’s Hiroko Kuwata in straight sets.

“These two matches I feel like will prep me for my first round, especially because I’ve never been to this tournament before,” Gauff said.

“I was glad that I was able to get a feel of how it is, the site, playing those two qualifying matches.

“The weather is similar to home (in Florida), so I felt like I’ve been practising at home. I’ll be happy playing on any court.” — Reuters

Mamedyarov wins in Riga

Riga FIDE Grand Prix 2019
Riga, Latvia
July 12-25, 2019

(all participants are GMs)

Round 1

Anish Giri vs. Sergey Karjakin 4.0-5.0

Pentala Harikrishna vs. Wesley So 1.5-2.5

Jan-Krzysztof Duda vs. Peter Svidler 2.5-1.5

Daniil Dubov vs. Shakhriyar Mamedyarov 0.5-1.5

Alexander Grischuk vs. Nikita Vitiugov 3.0-1.0

Yu Yangyi vs. Levon Aronian 4.5-4.5*

Veselin Topalov vs. Hikaru Nakamura 2.5-1.5

David Navara vs. Maxime Vachier-Lagrave 0.5-1.5

*match reached the final Armageddon which was drawn, so Yu Yangyi who was Black advanced to the next round (see explanation of tie-break rules below)

Round 2

Sergey Karjakin vs. Wesley So 3.5-4.5

Jan-Krzysztof Duda vs. Shakhriyar Mamedyarov 1.5-2.5

Alexander Grischuk vs. Yu Yangyi 2.5-1.5

Veselin Topalov vs. Maxime Vachier-Lagrave 0.5-1.5

Round 3

Wesley So vs. Shakhriyar Mamedyarov 0.5-1.5

Alexander Grischuk vs. Maxime Vachier-Lagrave 0.5-1.5

Round 4

Shakhriyar Mamedyarov vs. Maxime Vachier-Lagrave 5.0-4.0

2019 FIDE Grand Prix series consists of four knockout tournaments, each with 16 players who are paired into 8 mini-matches. The mini-matches consist of two games of classical chess, with a time control of 90 minutes for the 1st 40 moves then 30 minutes to the end of the game, with a 30-second increment from move 1. If the match is tied two 25+10 rapid games are played. If still tied, there are two slow rapid (10+10) games, then two 5-minute blitz games with 3 seconds increment. Finally, if the two players are still tied, a single Armageddon game is played, where White has 5 minutes to Black’s 4 (with a 2-second increment from move 61) but Black wins the match with a draw.

The first leg of the 2019 Grand Prix was held in Moscow last May and won by Ian Nepomniachtchi.

Riga was the second leg and the final match to determine its winner went all the way to the Armageddon finals.

GM (Grandmaster)Maxime Vachier-Lagrave (FRA 2775) has made no secret of his intention to qualify for the FIDE Candidates’ tournament which will take place in the first half of 2020. Finishing in the top 2 of the FIDE Grand Prix will achieve that, so he made a determined effort to win this leg. He beat David Navara in the 1st round 1.5-0.5, former world champion Veselin Topalov in the Quarterfinals 1.5-0.5, and Alexander Grischuk in the Semifinals 1.5-0.5, all without the need of tie-breaks, earning 3 extra grand prix points (this will be explained later).

Mamedyarov has been having a below-par year and is currently down to world no. 8 with an ELO rating of 2765. To us ordinary folks this may seem very high, but consider that last February 2018 his rating was 2820, no. 2 in the world and incidentally making him the 6th highest rated player of all time. He also wanted very badly to win in Riga. In the 1st round he eliminated Daniil Dubov 1.5-0.5 (also no tie-breaks), then in the Quarterfinals he was severely tested by Poland’s Jan-Krzysztof Duda but managed to win 2.5-1.5. In the Semifinals a deadly opening novelty did Wesley So in and Shakh drew the other game, winning without need of tie-breaks and lining himself up for the Finals match.

The Finals match Mamedyarov vs. Vachier-Lagrave to determine the winner of the Riga Grand Prix went all the way. They exchanged wins in the classical games, drew both games in the first rapid (25+10), drew another two in the slow rapid (10+10) and then exchanged wins again in the blitz (5+3) games. In both the classical and blitz portions Mamedyarov took first game but Vachier-Lagrave won on demand in the second to bring the match to the next stage. In the final match, the Armageddon game, Mamedyarov played Black and only needed a draw to take the title, but he anyway won to remove all doubt that he was the worthy champion.

Mamedyarov had a deadly novelty for Wesley So in the Semifinals and also against MVL he had something prepared.

Mamedyarov, Shakhriyar (2765) — Vachier-Lagrave, Maxime (2775) [D85]
Riga Grand Prix (4.1)
July 22, 2019

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6

MVL has a rather narrow opening repertoire. With Black, against 1.e4 he plays the Sicilian Najdorf and versus 1.d4 it will usually be a Gruenfeld. That makes it easier to prepare against him. When asked about this in the post-game conference MVL replied that “Well, it’s the case for most people. You can be a target in the Berlin, in the Marshall, but of course maybe in the Gruenfeld it’s more concrete and of course there’s a lot of stuff to remember. Today I didn’t remember how to play, but I should have done better anyway.”

3.Nc3 d5 4.cxd5

In the Croatian leg of the Grand Chess Tour played just a few weeks before world champion Magnus Carlsen had won quickly against MVL’s Gruenfeld with 4.Nf3 Bg7 5.cxd5 Nxd5 6.e4 Nxc3 7.bxc3 c5 8.Be3 Qa5 9.Qd2 Nc6 10.Rb1 cxd4 11.cxd4 0–0 12.Qxa5 Nxa5 13.Bd3 (White wants to castle quickly, here is an example of what might happen to him if he does not do so: 13.d5 e6 14.Bd2 b6 15.Bxa5 bxa5 16.Bc4 exd5 17.Bxd5 Ba6!? 18.Bxa8 Rxa8 19.e5 Bf8 20.Rc1 Rd8 21.Rc2 Bb4+ 22.Nd2 a4 23.Kd1 Bd3 24.Nf3 Be4+ 0–1. Bellahcene, B. (2475)-Vachier Lagrave, M. (2811) Bastia FRA 2016) 13…Bg4 14.0–0 Bxf3 15.gxf3 e6 16.Rfd1 Rfd8 17.Bf1 b6 18.Ba6 Rd6 19.Rbc1 Rad8 20.Bg5 f6 (Forced. 20…R8d7? 21.Rc8+ Bf8 22.Bb5 and Black has to give up the exchange) 21.Be3 h6 22.Bb5 f5 23.d5! White had a big advantage. Take note that 23…exd5? 24.Bf4 Rf6 25.Bc7 wins material for him. Carlsen, M. (2875)-Vachier-Lagrave, M. (2779) Zagreb CRO 2019 1–0 37.

4…Nxd5 5.e4 Nxc3 6.bxc3 Bg7 7.Qa4+ Qd7 8.Qa3 b6 9.Nf3 Bb7 10.Bd3 0–0 11.0–0 c5 <D>

POSITION AFTER 11…C5

12.Bf4!?

Mamedyarov’s idea. The main move here is 12.Bg5 and the bishop often continues later with Bg5–h4–g3, where it is very strong on the g2–b8 diagonal and makes it difficult for Black to follow through with e7(or e6)-e5. So Mamedyarov’s line of thought is, why can’t he bring his bishop to the g2–b8 diagonal immediately?

Objectively though 12.Bg5 also attacks e7, and since 12.Bf4 does not target anything right away White has to calculate what would happen if Black takes the d4 pawn.

12…cxd4 13.cxd4 Nc6?!

Both players criticized this move because it allows the knight to be forced to the edge of the board where it remains inactive for the rest of the game. Shakh suggested 13…e6 as better.

During the game both players calculated 13…Bxd4 14.Nxd4 Qxd4 15.Qxe7 Qxd3 16.Qxb7 Na6 17.Rad1 and assessed the position as better for White.

14.d5 Na5?

MVL did not like the position after 14…Nd4 15.Nxd4 Bxd4 16.Rac1 Rfc8 17.Qb4 Mamedyarov: “White is better as Bd3–b5 is coming.” But I am not so sure, because 17…Rxc1 18.Rxc1 Bc5 19.Qb2 Rc8 20.Bb5 Qg4 Black seems to be ok.

15.Rac1 Rfc8 16.h3!

Mamedyarov: “A very good move.” This prevents …Qg4 without which Black seems to have a shortage of ideas on how to continue.

16…e6 17.d6 f6 18.e5! Bxf3

The move that MVL was counting on.

19.exf6!

What MVL missed. After the game he said that at this point he realized that Black was lost.

19…Bxf6

The zwischenzug 19…Bxg2 does not work because of 20.Kxg2 Bxf6 21.Ba6! and now after 21…Rxc1 22.Rxc1 the move Rc7 cannot be prevented.

20.gxf3 e5 21.Bd2 Rxc1

[21…Nc6 22.Ba6; Attacking the d6 pawn with 21…Rd8 does not work: 22.Rfd1 Qxd6 23.Qxd6 Rxd6 24.Bxa5 bxa5 25.Bc4+]

22.Rxc1 Rc8 23.Rxc8+ Qxc8 24.Kg2 Bd8 25.Be4 Qe6 26.Qd3 Kg7 27.Bc3 Qf6 28.Kf1 1–0

After 28.Kf1 White’s Qd5 would be devastating, and if Black tries to prevent it with 28…Qe6 29.f4 Bf6 30.fxe5 Bxe5 31.d7! queens the pawn.

Grand Prix scoring gives 8 points to the winner of any leg, 5 points to the runner-up, 3 points to the semifinalists and 1 point each for the quarterfinalists. There is an additional point given for winning a match without need of tie-breaks. Taking these rules into consideration the front-runners for the two qualifying slots to the candidates are:

Shakhriyar Mamedyarov — 10 points

Alexander Grischuk — 10 points

Ian Nepomniachtchi — 9 points

Maxime Vachier-Lagrave — 8 points

Radoslaw Wojtaszek — 5 points

Wesley So — 4 points

Mamedyarov and Grischuk have already participated in two Grand Prix events while Nepomniachtchi and Vachier-Lagrave have only participated in 1 (remember each participant plays in three of Grand Prix events), so I’d say Ian and Maxime have very good chances to qualify despite currently being in 3rd and 4th spots only.

Next Grand Prix tournament will be held in Hamburg from November 4-18, 2019 and the last one will be on December 10-24 this year in Tel Aviv, Israel. Let’s see what happens!

In case you are wondering, Wesley So will not be participating in the Germany event (each participant only plays in three of the four events) but will suit up for Israel.

 

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

Nation at a Glance — (07/30/19)

News stories from across the nation. Visit www.bworldonline.com (section: The Nation) to read more national and regional news from the Philippines.

Nation at a Glance — (07/30/19)

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