EDUCATION SECRETARY Leonor M. Briones has ordered the resumption of classes on Feb. 3 in areas affected by Taal Volcano’s eruption, following Sunday’s lowering of the alert level on the restive volcano. Ms. Briones, in a briefing, said weekend classes will be conducted to make up for the suspension days since Jan. 12, when Taal started spewing ash and the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology imposed the second highest alert level. The Department of Education has drafted a modified school calendar, which will be from Feb. 3 to April 6. “We hope that we will be able to comply with the required school days and face-to-face interactions by April… We will be having classes on Saturdays and Sundays with due apologies to our students,” Ms. Briones said. Government data show 644,081 students from 1,018 schools were affected within the 14-kilometer radius of the volcano. As of January 26, 328 schools around the Cavite-Laguna-Batangas-Rizal-Quezon (Calabarzon) Region were still being used as evacuation centers. — Gillian M. Cortez
THE BAGUIO City government has started issuing demolition notices to owners of about 200 structures built within the 150-meter buffer zone of the Loakan Airport, which is being readied for commercial operations. Stephen A. Capuyan, head of the City Buildings and Architecture Office’s (CBAO) investigation and demolition division, said an initial 110 notices were sent out last week, giving owners seven days to voluntarily demolish their structures or show proof of ownership that will be subject to legitimacy proceedings. “Structures that do not have the legitimate documents will surely be the first ones to be demolished while those individuals that are able to present titles of their properties will be subjected to the required hearings by the city anti-squatting and illegal structures committee to ascertain the legitimacy of their ownership of their properties,” Mr. Capuyan said in a statement Friday. The buffer zone was declared by the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP), which operates the airport that is currently open for chartered and military flights. The city government has asked CAAP and the Department of Transportation (DoTR) for the takeover of the facility’s management, which is being eyed to be contracted to a private firm. Baguio City Mayor Benjamin B. Magalong already had initial talks with San Miguel Corp. for the proposed venture.
CEBU GOVERNOR Gwendolyn F. Garcia expressed support for the national government’s plan to pursue a monorail project in Cebu City, but is hoping that the transport project would be expanded to neighboring areas within the Metro Cebu district. “That is really very much needed. And, we really have to thank the President… I hope, though, that this should extend beyond Cebu City. That they should cover at least the Metro Cebu area,” she told reporters Friday. Metro Cebu covers the cities of Cebu, Carcar, Danao, Lapu-Lapu, Mandaue, Naga, and Talisay, and the municipalities of Compostela, Consolacion, Cordova, Liloan, Minglanilla, and San Fernando. President Rodrigo R. Duterte, speaking at the closing ceremonies of the Sinulog Grand showdown on January 19, vowed to help address the longstanding traffic congestion problem in Cebu City. He promised to help source funds for the monorail project, which is part of the intermodal transport system plan for the city that also includes a Bus Rapid Transit System. The provincial board of Cebu passed a resolution in October last year declaring a traffic crisis and granting emergency powers to Mr. Duterte to expedite transport projects.
TWO MORE temporary shelters were turned over last week to families affected by the October earthquakes in Tulunan, Cotabato and another one is scheduled on Wednesday under the adopt-a-home program. The three latest houses were sponsored by the National Movement of Young Legislators (NMYL). “These young legislators of NMYL are getting real and engaging about climate change and disaster,” Vice Governor Emmylou T. Mendoza told BusinessWorld. Another nine shelters donated by Cotabato Provincial Board Member Shirlyn Macasarte-Villanueva, also the focal person of the program, are scheduled to be completed soon. Ms. Mendoza said construction materials are also ready for the 35 units donated by a group of lawyers and friends from Davao. “Dina-dahan-dahan lang namin kasi mahirap mag-stock ng materials (We are pacing it because it is difficult to put the materials on stock),” she said, noting that the labor for the project is through volunteers from the community and various sectors. The military assists in transporting the materials as well as in the construction. Ms. Mendoza said the program’s scheme expedites the construction process. “Government has all the resources but delay in intervention is apparent because of the procurement process. Hence, this is initiative of bayanihan in the form of labor or materials,” she said. An initial 40 shelters already have sponsors and the program is targeting to set up at least 100. The beneficiaries can stay at their shelters until the National Housing Authority is able to deliver houses in permanent relocation sites. — Maya M. Padillo
JEEPNEY DRIVERS and operators who will be affected by the launch of the High Priority Bus System (HPBS) in Davao City have five social compensation packages to choose from, including educational assistance, skills training, and cash-for-work assistance. HPBS Spokesperson Norman Baloro, in a statement from the city government, said each driver and operator can choose three among the five packages designed and offered by national government agencies. These are:
• Department of Labor and Employment (DoLE) — one month cash-for-work program with a compensation of at least P11,000, plus financial assistance;
• Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) — livelihood kits and capacity-building for entrepreneurship;
• Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) — various skills training, with priority given to NC3 level course for bus driving and other automotive-related courses;
• Commission on Higher Education (CHED) — four-year course education grant of P15,000 per year for one beneficiary of the driver or operator; and
• Department of Health (DoH) — P5,000 to P10,000 medical assistance on top of benefits from the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) and the city’s government’s Lingap program.
Mr. Baloro said these compensation packages will be available not just for drivers and operators who will be affected by the HPBS first phase, “but all jeepney drivers and operators can avail it now.” Coordination work has started while the list of beneficiaries are being validated through the HPBS Project Office located at the 2nd Floor of the Pasalubong Center. About 135 buses will be deployed “soon” for the HPBS first phase, covering the Toril, Catalunan Grande, and Diversion road routes. Around 1,000 bus units are planned for the HPBS, which will have 7,000 public utility jeepneys in 29 routes around the city.
THE NEWLY-established Zero Hunger Task Force will be implementing its initial projects this year in 32 provinces across the country. Cabinet Secretary Karlo Alexei P. Nograles, in a statement, said the first rollout of the Enhanced Partnership Against Hunger and Poverty (EPAHP) will cover eight provinces in Luzon, nine in the Visayas, and 15 in Mindanao. Mr. Nograles emphasized the need to implement the programs this year despite the drop in annual hunger rate to 9.3% in 2019 from 13.3% in 2016, based on Social Weathers Stations (SWS) surveys. “The data tells us that while our programs have helped curb hunger, they also say that we have two million families we need to reach out…and that is what we want to do with EPAHP,” he said. The 32 provinces are: Apayao, Camarines Sur, Catanduanes, Masbate, Nueva Ecija, Pangasinan, Sorsogon, and Quezon in Luzon; Cebu, Eastern Samar, Iloilo, Leyte, Negros Occidental, Negros Oriental, Northern Samar, Siquijor, and Western Samar in the Visayas; Agusan Del Sur, Bukidnon, Davao Del Sur, Davao Occidental, Lanao Del Norte, North Cotabato, Sarangani, South Cotabato, Surigao Del Sur, Sultan Kudarat, Zamboanga Del Norte, Zamboanga Del Sur, Lanao Del Sur, Maguindanao, and Sulu in Mindanao. President Rodrigo R. Duterte issued an order creating the task force last January 16. — Gillian M. Cortez
CERES-NEGROS FC shoots for a place where it has never been to before when it plays FC Tokyo in an away AFC Champions League playoff match today in Japan.
At stake for the “Busmen” is a spot in the main draw of the prestigious Asian tournament, becoming the first Philippine football club to achieve such feat if it succeeds in going away with a win over FC Tokyo in the scheduled match at the Tokyo Stadium.
The Bacolod-based team put itself in such a position to advance to the group play of the AFC Champions League 2020 after beating Myanmar’s Shan United FC, 3-2, and Thailand’s Port FC, 1-0, in the two previous rounds of the preliminaries early this month.
Against Port FC, Ceres showed much resilience in hacking out the key victory that kept them in the hunt for the main draw of the competition.
Captain Stephan Schrock provided what turned out to be the marginal goal in the 51st minute as the Busmen went on to defeat the host side.
The game was tightly fought right from the opening half with both teams having their runs and chances at a goal before settling for a nil-nil count at the halftime break.
Early in the second half Ceres caught a break when Port FC goalkeeper Worawut Srisupa committed an error that Mr. Schrock and the Busmen capitalized on.
Attempting to punch Mr. Schrock’s center clear, Mr. Worawut instead saw his move backfire as the ball flew into his own goal to hand the 1-0 lead to Ceres.
Port FC tried to get the goal back for the remainder of the contest, keeping the pressure on the Ceres defense.
But the Busmen were up to the challenge as they kept frustrating their opponents en route to booking the win.
After their victory, Ceres coach Risto Vidakovic paid tribute to his team for sticking to the game plan and putting up a tough stand amid a tough challenge from Port FC.
“It was a very tough game, especially in the second half. After two weeks of preparation I think we are still not ready but the boys gave everything in the game and I would like to congratulate them. They really did a good job. We were lucky a bit. We missed some chances. But that’s football. You’ll never know,” Mr. Vidakovic said after their win over Port FC on Jan. 21.
The Busmen said they are expecting a tough fight against FC Tokyo but are also using the opportunity to gain valuable experience and confidence as a team.
“That’s (FC Tokyo) another very hard game, even harder than this one. But for us this is an experience for the team. We are always fighting to win, tactically we will be working on it. There are challenges but for us it’s an experience towards getting better,” the Ceres coach said.
“To play Tokyo is an honor. They have competing at a high level against tough competition and these are the teams you want to compete against to see where you are at,” veteran James Younghusband, for his part, said.
Ceres unfortunately will play today’s game sans Mr. Schrock who is expected to sit out the match after accumulating two yellow cards in the previous rounds.
Ceres was also on the verge of making it to the main draw of the AFC Champions League back in 2018 but fell short after losing to Tianjin Quanjian FC in the playoffs. It is a narrative it hopes to change in this edition of the tournament.
The Ceres-FC Tokyo match is set for 6 p.m. (Manila time) and broadcast over FOX Sports 2.
CALABASAS, CALIFORNIA. — Kobe Bryant, one of the NBA’s all-time greatest players whose international stardom transcended basketball, was killed at age 41 on Sunday in a helicopter crash near Los Angeles along with his 13-year-old daughter and seven others on board, officials said.
Bryant rocketed to fame as an 18-year-old rookie and played 20 years for the Los Angeles Lakers — 18 of them as an All-Star — winning five NBA championships. His death sent shockwaves through the National Basketball Association, which he helped propel to global prominence, and stunned fans around the world.
The cause of the crash was unknown, and an investigation by the Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board could take months.
Bryant was known since his playing days to travel frequently by helicopter to avoid the Los Angeles area’s notorious traffic.
His Sikorsky S-76 chopper went down in foggy weather shortly before 10 a.m. (1800 GMT) in hilly terrain just outside Calabasas, California, about 40 miles (65 km) northwest of central Los Angeles, sparking a brush fire, officials said.
“There were no survivors,” Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva told a news conference, saying the flight manifest showed nine people on board. He declined to identify them.
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver confirmed Bryant and his daughter Gianna were among those killed, and sent condolences to Bryant’s wife, Vanessa.
“He was one of the most extraordinary players in the history of our game with accomplishments that are legendary,” Silver said, as tributes poured in from players, politicians and entertainers.
The fire and debris field from the crash spread over a quarter-acre of steep terrain in the grass-covered foothills of the Santa Monica Mountains, county Fire Chief Daryl Osby said.
Among the others on board, in addition to the pilot, were a teammate from Bryant’s daughter’s basketball squad and a parent of the teammate, NBC News reported.
Orange Coast College baseball coach John Altobelli was also one of the victims, the Orange County Register reported, citing assistant coach Ron La Ruffa.
‘KOBE WE LOVE YOU’
Reaction to Bryant’s death was swift, and moments of silence were observed before some of Sunday’s NBA games.
In San Antonio, the Toronto Raptors and San Antonio Spurs allowed the 24-second shot clock to expire on each of their first possessions, in tribute to Bryant’s jersey number, 24.
“I am in shock over the tragic news of Kobe’s and Gianna’s passing. Words can’t describe the pain I’m feeling,” said Michael Jordan, who won six NBA championships with the Chicago Bulls.
“Kobe was an amazing dad who loved his family deeply — and took great pride in his daughter’s love for the game of basketball,” Jordan said.
Fans mourn the loss of NBA legend Kobe Bryant outside of the Staples Center in Los Angeles. — HARRISON HILL-USA TODAY
Stunned fans gathered near the Lakers’ home arena — the Staples Center in downtown Los Angeles — surrounding a wreath with the message: “Kobe we love you RIP.”
Some in the crowd dabbed tears as others laid flowers and basketball sneakers at the wreath. Fans wore both his No. 24 and No. 8 jerseys, breaking the somber mood with occasional chants of “Kobe, Kobe.”
Hours later inside the arena, musicians and performers paid tribute to Bryant from the stage of the Grammy Awards.
One of a handful of internationally recognized athletes known simply by their first names, Bryant was an avid supporter of soccer and women’s basketball. He spoke Spanish as well as Italian, having spent part of his youth in Italy, where his father, former NBA player Joe “Jellybean” Bryant, played several seasons professionally.
He also won an Oscar in 2018 as writer-producer of that year’s best animated short film, “Dear Basketball,” which Bryant also narrated, and he sometimes mingled with show-business stars in Los Angeles.
‘MUCH MORE THAN AN ATHLETE’
“Most people will remember Kobe as the magnificent athlete who inspired a whole generation of basketball players. But I will always remember him as a man who was much more than an athlete,” Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, the all-time NBA scoring leader and former Laker, said on Twitter.
Bryant was accused of sexual assault in 2003 by a woman who worked at a Colorado hotel, tarnishing his reputation and leading to a media storm surrounding the case. Bryant denied the allegations, and charges eventually were dismissed after his accuser refused to testify.
Bryant and his wife filed for divorce in 2011 after 10 years of marriage, but the couple said in 2013 they had reconciled.
Besides Gianna, they had three other daughters: Natalia, Bianca, and Capri who was born in June 2019.
Bryant, who played all 20 of his NBA seasons with the Lakers, also won two Olympic gold medals as a member of the US men’s basketball team in 2008 and 2012.
Nicknamed “The Black Mamba,” he became eligible to enter the Hall of Fame this year and is certain to be selected when the 2020 class is enshrined.
Bryant demonstrated from an early age he would surpass the accomplishments of his father, who played eight seasons in the NBA.
The Philadelphia native went straight from high school to the NBA, skipping the college ranks. Since he was just 17 years old at the time, his parents needed to co-sign his first contract with the Lakers. He played his first game with the team shortly after turning 18 in 1996.
He was the third-leading scorer in league history with 33,643 points, until LeBron James surpassed him on Saturday. In his final tweet, Bryant saluted James’ achievement, writing: “Continuing to move the game forward @KingJames. Much respect my brother.” — Reuters
NATIONAL Basketball Association legend Kobe Bryant loved the Philippines and, in turn, the country loved him back. So when news of the untimely death of the many-time Manila visitor on Monday (Manila time) broke out, Filipinos mourned and expressed their love and respect for the “Black Mamba.”
The local basketball community, in particular, was one in grieving after it was reported that the five-time NBA champion and hoops icon was one of nine people who died in a helicopter crash in California.
Mr. Bryant was 41 years old at the time of his death. Also perishing in the crash was his daughter Gianna, 13. They were reportedly on their way to a basketball tournament for young players.
As was the case in different parts of the world, local basketball stakeholders received the sad news with much shock and disbelief.
“Damn. I have no words,” wrote sportscaster Jinno Rufino on his Twitter account of the passing of Mr. Bryant, who visited the Philippines many times during his Hall-of-Fame NBA career and brand ambassador for global brand Nike.
“Still can’t believe it until now #mambaout,” former Gilas Pilipinas and Philippine Basketball Association coach Chot Reyes, for his part, tweeted.
Drafted by the Los Angeles Lakers at number 13 in the 1996 NBA rookie draft, Mr. Bryant achieved greatness in 20 years in The Association, all with the purple and gold, winning league titles and individual awards while putting his name in the record books in so many categories.
He also served as inspiration to countless players of a generation who looked up to him for how he carried himself both on and off the court.
“Lost for words. No the news i wanted to hear when i woke up. Life’s short man. Appreciate everybody around you to the fullest! Do not take anything for granted. You were one of the reasons i played the sport, Kobe. You are the reason why i want to be great,” wrote Gilas and NLEX Road Warriors player Kiefer Ravena on Twitter in sharing what Mr. Bryant meant to him as a player.
“Your IMPACT and LEGACY canNOT be explained in words. Thoughts and prayers out to you and your family. #RIPMamba #RIPGiGi,” PBA veteran guard Sol Mercado said from his end.
PBA imports also shared their thoughts on the passing of Mr. Bryant, who first visited the country in the late 1990s while he was still building his legend with the Lakers.
“RIP to the best player i’ve ever played against!!! He made a kid from West Virgina believe he could make it too with some hard work and dedication!!! #24/8 #MambaMentality,” NLEX and Blackwater reinforcement and former NBA campaigner Henry Walker tweeted.
Three-time PBA best import awardee Allen Durham of the Meralco Bolts underscored the legend that Mr. Bryant was, saying, “Gone way too soon, I appreciate everything you gave to us. R.I.P LEGEND.”
The last time Mr. Bryant was in the Philippines was in 2016 as part of his “Mamba Mentality Tour” and after playing his final season in the NBA.
Filipinos showed their appreciation to the NBA legend as they flocked to the Araneta Coliseum where he was honored.
A banner was raised as a tribute to him, joining that of “Thrilla In Manila” banner lionizing the historic fight between Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier which was held in the venue in 1975.
“I just want to say thank you so much for inspiring me on this journey,” Mr. Bryant said, thanking the Filipino fans.
SET TO TAKE make his Manila debut for ONE Championship, Team Lakay fighter Lito “Thunder Kid” Adiwang said he is very excited to fight in front of the hometown fans and make it an event to remember.
To take on Thai Pongsiri Mitsatit in a strawweight preliminary fight at “ONE: Fire & Fury” on Jan. 31 at the Mall of Asia Arena, Mr. Adiwang (10-2) is expecting tough competition but nonetheless expressed his readiness to compete.
“I feel confident heading into this match-up. I love Pongsiri’s style. He’s an exciting fighter. It just gives me more motivation and confidence knowing I am up against a good challenge,” said Mr. Adiwang, who is riding a six-fight winning streak.
The Baguio-based fighter added that fighting alongside his Lakay teammates makes his upcoming fight all the more significant for him.
Apart from him, Team Lakay’s Joshua Pacio is also in action, defending his ONE world strawweight title against Brazilian Alex Silva in headlining fight.
Also in the card for Team Lakay are former ONE lightweight champion Eduard Folayang, Danny “The King” Kingad, and Gina “Conviction” Iniong.
Mr. Adiwang topped the ONE Warrior Series last year to earn a contract with Asia’s largest sports media property.
He had a winning debut in ONE’s main draw in October, defeating former Pancrase champion Senzo Ikeda at the landmark “ONE: Century” event in Japan.
Known for his striking, Mr. Adiwang delivered a different facet of his game against Mr. Ikeda, scoring an early takedown and immediately executed a scarf-hold armlock. The bout was stopped just moments later after the Japanese suffered an injury to his arm, giving the stoppage win to the Filipino.
It’s the same aggressiveness that he is angling to bring at Fire & Fury.
“This is my first fight in Manila with ONE Championship, so naturally, I am really excited to fight in front of my countrymen. Filipino fans are the best in the world, and I cannot wait to bring the heat,” said Mr. Adiwang.
“I am heading into this fight full of confidence. I know I am going to win. That is my mindset right now. The only thing left to do is perform to the best of my abilities. Then, I will claim victory. I want to win this fight in an impressive way. I want the finish, whichever way it comes — on the feet or on the ground,” he added.
Women World Chess Championship
Shanghai / Vladivostok
Jan. 5–24, 2020
Final Standings:
Ju Wenjun CHN 2584, 3 wins 6 draws 3 losses, 6.0/12
Aleksandra Goryachkina RUS 2578, 3 wins 6 draws 3 losses, 6.0/12
Tie-breaks:
Ju Wenjun defeated Goryachkina 2.5-1.5
Time Control:
Regular Match — 90 minutes for the first 40 moves, then 30 minutes play-to-finish, with 30 seconds added to your clock after every move starting move 1
Tie-breaks — 25 minutes for the entire game with 10 seconds added to your clock after every move starting move 1
Women’s World Champion Ju Wenjun.
The 2020 FIDE Women’s World Chess Championship was a 12-game match between Chinese reigning champion Ju Wenjun and Russian challenger Aleksandra Goryachkina, who won the 2019 FIDE Women’s Candidates Tournament. The first six games was played in Ju Wenjun’s hometown of Shanghai, China and the remaining games in Vladivostok, Russia. The prize fund: 500,000 euros, split 60:40, or 55:45 in case of a playoff.
Ju Wenjun (born Jan. 31, 1991, which makes her 28 years of age) was the favorite to win. She is a native of Shanghai and rated 2584, just slightly higher than her challenger’s 2578. If the match goes into rapid tie-breaks Wenjun would have the edge as she is a monster at speed chess, having won the World Rapid Chess Championship in 2017 Riyadh as well as the same championship the next year in St. Petersburg. She did not participate in the 2019 edition held last December, which actually struck me as odd as what better way to stir up the creative juices than 5 days of rapid/blitz chess?
Aleksandra Goryachkina (born Sept. 28, 1998 in Orsk, Russia) is from a chess family — her father, Yuri, is a FIDE Master and her first coach. Her mother is a Candidate Master in chess as well. Outside of chessplaying, Aleksandra is very involved in teaching. Her father is the president of a chess school in Salekhard where she frequently gives master classes.
I thought it strange that the second half of the match was held in Vladivostok because whereas the Chinese defending champion was born and grew up in Shanghai, her Russian challenger’s hometown is Orsk, which is just South of the Urals on the European side of Russia. Vladivostok is on the other side of Russia, the Far East side, on the Sea of Japan not far from Russia’s borders with China and North Korea. It is the home port of the Russian Pacific Fleet.
To illustrate how far that is from Goryachkina’s home, if she went to Moscow to take a train ride to Vladivostok, this is the longest journey you can make on a single train: the longest of the three trans-Siberian routes, between Moscow and Vladivostok, covers 9,258 kilometers and takes seven days.
Contrast this with the distance between Shanghai and Vladivostok which is “only” 1,600 kilometers.
At any rate when the match started in Shanghai it was Ju Wenjun who appeared to be out-of-form and tentative while her challenger pushed hard for the win. They started with 3 hard-fought draws (games took 97, 40 and 85 moves — no short handshakes!) and then Ju Wenjun broke through in game 4 to take the lead. Goryachkina said that she lost the thread of the game but couldn’t quite pinpoint where — her position just kept getting worse and she couldn’t recover.
Ju, Wenjun (2584) — Goryachkina, Aleksandra (2578) [D16]
Wch Women 2020 Shanghai / Vladivostok (4.1), 09.01.2020
By transposition we have a Queen’s Gambit position in which White’s extra move a4 only weakens his queenside. Usually a4 is only a reaction to a6, and here Black can do without a6 altogether. Recent practice confirms she has good chances to achieve equality.
10.d5
Releases the tension in the position some might say too early. However, it appears that Ju’s strategy is to avoid risk and wait for Goryachkina to make a mistake.
Black’s problems later can be traced to this king move. I will show you later.
20.Qb5 Bxd5 21.Qxd5 Rd8 22.Qe4
See? The h7 pawn is attacked and 22…g6 23.Bh6+ won’t do.
22…h6 23.g3 b6 24.Rc1 f6?
Goryachkina was afraid of White’s Qh7+Rc7 attack, but actually the simple 24…Bf6! was more than adequate. If White pushes through with the Qh7+Rc7 plan then: 25.Qh7 (25.Rc7? right away is a blunder because of 25…Rd1+ 26.Kg2 Qf1+ 27.Kf3 Qh1+ and White loses her queen after 28.Kf4 Bg5+ 29.Ke5 f6+ 30.Kf5 g6+ etc) 25…Qd3! and now White has to exchange queens, otherwise 26.Qh8+? Ke7 27.Rc7+ Ke6 the queen on a8 is trapped.
Preventing white’s h4–h5. Ju Wenjun for the first time has the advantage out of the opening and the accuracy with which she executes the winning technique is impressive.
31.Kh2!
Getting out of possible checks on the long diagonal.
31…Be7 32.b3 Kf8 33.Qc2 Bd6 34.Qe4 Bc5
Goes against the rule that when you are up, swap pieces, when you are down, swap pawns.
35.Bxc5+ bxc5 36.a5!
Bringing the pawn to a6 to ensure that she always has the threat of Qb7.
The pawn endgame after: 46.Qxe7+! Kxe7 47.g4! is won for White. No matter, Wenjun must have realized the same thing after she made her move, for now she tries to “rewind” and get the same position.
White needs to be precise. 56.Kf5? would have thrown away the win: 56…Kb4! 57.Kxf6 Kxb3 58.Kg6 c4 59.f5 c3 60.f6 c2 61.f7 c1Q 62.f8Q it looks like a draw.
56…f5
The drawing method I showed you in the previous move does not work now: 56…Kb4 57.Kc6 f5 58.Kd6 Kb5 59.Kc7! Kb4 (59…Kxa6 60.Kc6) 60.Kc6.
Goryachkina struck back in game 5 to equalize the score. In game 6 Goryachkina again got a big advantage with calm and measured play but, as in games 1 and 3, she was not able to build on her advantage and after the 1st time control the worst was behind Ju and a draw was agreed on the 105th (!) move.
The match then took a 3-day break. The common wisdom is that if the match is tied going into the Vladivostok half then the momentum would shift to Goryachkina. That was not what happened.
In game 7 for the first time it was Ju who got a very comfortable position from the opening and Goryachkina was reduced to sitting back and waiting for her Chinese foe to break through. Aleksandra defended extremely well and held the draw in 67 moves.
Wenjun had problems with Black throughout the match and game 8 was a disaster — she went into an inferior line and Goryachkina pounced on it to win in 45 moves to go one up.
With her back against the wall Ju Wenjun went into game 9 wearing a black jacket with “whatever” embroidered on the back and she went for broke, playing in a very risky style which paid off when Goryachkina went astray in approaching time trouble. Once again the match was tied.
In Game 10 Ju Wenjun won again to grab the lead for the second time in the match. Aleksandra equalized out of the opening but mis-assessed her position and erred through an unjustified winning attempt.
The roles were reversed as it was Goryachkina who was now behind and needed at least one win in the final two games to draw level. Game 11 was drawn and, in the last game of the match, in a win-or-go-home situation, Aleksandra unleashed the Jobava Attack and, after an eventful game where both sides fought hard, took advantage of a blunder by Ju to win and tie the match and force tie-breaks.
The tie-breaks were played the next day. This was a 4-game match at 25 minutes each with 10 second increment after every move. Ju won 1 and drew 3 to finally close out the match and retain her title as women’s world champion, although even here in the faster time controls Goryachkina proved herself to be a tough customer and had her winning chances as well.
This was a roller-coaster of a match and both sides should be commended for fighting to the end in every game. At the end, the difference between the two came down to the so-called killer instinct. Excellent opening preparation gave Goryachkina a big advantage in at least 4 of the games but, in the face of continuous resourceful defense she just couldn’t nail down the full point. In the case of Ju Wenjun once she got the advantage more often than not that was it.
We will continue this interesting story on Thursday.
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.
