2019 Philippine Junior Championship (Girls)
Alphaland, Makati City
June 1-5, 2019
Final Top Standings
1. Vic Glysen Derotas 1749, 8.0/9
2. WFM Samantha Glo Revita 1898, 7.0/9
3-5. WIM Kylen Joy Mordido 1934, Ruth Joy Vinuya 1671, Jerlyn Mae San Diego 1970, 6.5/9
6-9. WFM Allaney Jia Doroy 2074, Jesca Docena 1672, Natasja Jasmine Balabbo 1517, Manilyn Cabungcag 1627, 6.0/9
10-18. WNM Francois Marie Magpily 1722, Rheam Arah de Guzman 1950, Jarel Renz Lacambra 1841, Queenie Mae Samarita 1709, Franchell Eds Javier 1877, Laila Camel Nadera 1661, Naton Bazza Diaz 1708, Kristine Mae Flores 1541, Alexis Anne Osena 1720, 5.5/9
No. of Participants: 66
Time Control: 90 minutes play-to-finish with 30 seconds added to your clock after every move from move 1
Vic Glysen Derotas, who plays for Nazareth School of National University, is the new Philippine Junior Champion, Girls Division. Unlike the competition in the Boys Division where there was a stern battle for the gold medal which lasted till the last day and hour of the competition, here in the Girls Division Derotas scored seven wins and gave up just one draw to clinch the title one round before the end. She was awarded the title of Woman National Master by the National Chess Federation of the Philippines (FIDE).
As a “subsequent event disclosure,” after a little more than a week Ms. Derotas, as our Junior Champion, represented the Philippines in the 20th ASEAN Age Group Chess Championships at the Golden Mandalay Hotel in Mandalay City, Myanmar where she won the Under-18 Girls Division and earned the outright Woman International Master title.
She is really a find. Vic Glysen, who is one of the brightest players from Cebu (Barangay Apas), is a former chess standout of the University of San Carlos-Basic Education Department. She won the Girls Kiddies title of the Shell National Youth Active Chess Championship in 2012 but jumped ship to NU after she lost her scholarship in 2016.
Derotas, Vic — Magpily, Francois [A36]
2019 National Junior Chess Championship (8.6)
WNM Francois Magpily plays for UST in the UAAP. She won the 2018 Secondary Girls Division of the National Capital Region (NCR) Athletic Meet. Not a pushover at all!
1.c4 c5 2.Nc3 Nc6 3.g3
With White Derotas plays almost exclusively 1.c4 followed by a kingside fianchetto.
3…g6 4.Bg2 Bg7 5.e3 e5 6.Nge2 Nge7 7.0–0 0–0 8.a3 d6 9.Rb1 Be6 10.Nd5 Qd7 11.b4 cxb4 12.axb4 Rad8 13.Nec3 f5 14.d3 b6 15.Bd2 g5 16.b5 Nb8 17.f4
White also has the option of Rb1–a1–a2 and doubling rooks on the a-file to target the weak a7–pawn.
17…gxf4 18.exf4 Nxd5 19.Nxd5 Qf7 20.Kh1 Kh8 21.Bc3 Nd7 22.Nb4 e4 23.Bxg7+ Qxg7 24.Nc6 Rde8 25.dxe4 Bxc4 26.Re1 fxe4 27.Qxd6 Bd3 28.Ra1 Bxb5 29.Nd4 Rf6?
[29…a6 30.Nxb5 axb5 31.Bf1 Rf6 32.Qd2 Nc5 would hold it together]
30.Qd5 Bd3 31.Rxa7 Rf7 <D>
POSITION AFTER 31…RF7
32.Nf5!
Obviously overlooked. Now, wriggle and squirm as she could, Black will be losing material.
32…Qc3 33.Rg1 Bc4 34.Qc6 Qd3
[34…Nf6? 35.Rxf7 the bishop is pinned against the queen]
35.Nd6 Rg7 36.Nxe8 Re7 37.Nf6 Bb5 38.Ra8+ Kg7 39.Nh5+ Kf7 40.Qh6!
White mates.
40…e3 41.Qg7+ Ke6 42.f5+ Kd6 43.Qh6+ Kc5 44.Nf4 Qxf5 45.Rc8+ 1–0
There is no saving Black. After 45.Rc8+ Kb4 (45…Kd4 46.Qd6+ followed by mate) 46.Qd6+ wins the rook and the black king cannot escape the mating net.
With Black Derotas plays 1…e6. If White starts with 1.e4 then we have a French Defense. If 1.d4 then we transpose to the Queen’s Gambit Declined. I have written extensively on crushing the French, but she handles it pretty well. Witness …
Vinuya, Ruth Joy — Derotas, Vic [C10]
2019 National Junior Chess Championship (5.7)
Ruth Vinuya is a child prodigy from Ilagan, Isabela. The daughter of a chess-playing tricycle driver, she was only 8 years old when she first represented her region (I think this is Region 2) in the 2013 Palarong Pambansa. She currently plays top board for the FEU High School girls’ squad.
1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 dxe4
Derotas is a stern devotee of the Rubinstein Variation.
4.Nxe4 Be7 5.Nf3 Nf6 6.Bd3 Nbd7 7.c3 0–0 8.0–0 b6 9.Re1 Bb7 10.Ng3 c5 11.Bc2?!
This is not a good square for the bishop. You will see why later.
11…Rc8 12.Ne5 Qc7
This is trickier than you may realize. Black is threatening 13…cxd4 14.Qxd4 (now you see why his bishop shouldn’t be on c2) Bc5 15.Qf4 Nxe5 winning a piece, since 16.Qxe5 runs into 16…Bxf2+ 17.Kxf2 Ng4+.
13.Nxd7 Qxd7 14.dxc5 Qxd1 15.Bxd1 Bxc5 16.Be3 Bxe3 17.Rxe3 Rfd8 18.Nf1 Nd5 19.Rg3?
White should have simply retreated her rook to e1. On g3 it looks threatening but actually becomes a liability.
19…Nf4 20.Bf3 Ba6
With the idea of …Bxf1 followed by …Rd2.
21.Rg4 e5 22.h4
[22.g3? f5 23.Rh4 (23.Rg5 Nh3+) 23…g5 24.Rh6 Kg7 the rook has nowhere to go]
22…h5 23.Rg3
[23.Rg5 f6 forces the rook to g3 just the same]
23…Rc7 24.Kh2 Bxf1 25.Rxf1 Rd2 26.Bd1 Rxb2 27.Bb3 Kh7 28.Re3 f6 29.g3 Ne2 30.c4 Nd4 31.Kh3 a5 32.f4 a4 33.Bxa4 Rxc4 34.Bb3 Nxb3 35.axb3 Rcc2 36.Rh1 exf4 37.gxf4 b5 38.Rd1 b4 39.Rd4 Rc3 40.Rxc3 bxc3 41.b4 Kg6 42.Rc4 c2 43.Kg3 Rb3+ 44.Kg2 Kf5 45.Rxc2 Rxb4 46.Kg3 Rb3+ 47.Kh2 Kxf4 48.Rc4+ Kf5 49.Rc5+ Kg6 50.Rc6 Re3 51.Kg2 Kf5 52.Rc5+ Re5 53.Rc4 Re4 54.Rc5+ Kg4 55.Rc7 Kxh4 56.Kf3 Rg4 57.Rc1 f5 58.Rh1+ Kg5 59.Ra1 h4 60.Ra7 g6 61.Rh7 Rg3+ 62.Kf2 Kg4 63.Kf1 h3 0–1
White was given no chance after her opening inaccuracy.
Here in the Girls’ Division of the National Juniors we saw the strength of the National University Lady Bullpups. Last October they completely dominated the UAAP by winning all of their matches, in the majority of which via a 4-0 whitewash. Derotas, Allaney Jia Doroy, Jesca Docena and Natasja Jasmine Balabbo are all members of that team.
In fact, Allaney Jia Doroy was the prohibitive favorite to win the title. You will recall that in the 13th Asian Schools Age Group Championship 2017 held in Panjin City, China she was the most bemedaled Filipino player. Allaney Jia took part in the Under-17 competition and got gold in the standard and rapid tournaments and silver in the blitz. That’s 2 gold and 1 silver out of 3 tournaments.
She was definitely going for the gold in this tournament as well. She fought hard in every game and did not agree to any draws, winning 6 and losing 3 games. If you go over the games you will see that the losses were caused by over-reaching in the pursuit of the full point. I am sure that one day, to paraphrase one of our saints, she will still have the courage to pursue the win in every game, will acquire the serenity to accept the draw if the win is no longer there, and the wisdom to know the difference.
Docena, Jesca — Doroy, Allaney [B27]
2019 National Junior Chess Championship (6.7)
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 g6 3.c3 Bg7 4.d4 cxd4 5.cxd4 d5 6.e5 Nc6 7.h3 Nh6 8.Nc3 0–0 9.Bf4 f6!
Black has to be prepared to give up the exchange before she decided on this.
10.Bb5
[10.exf6 Rxf6 11.Be5 (otherwise why did the bishop go to f4?) 11…Re6 12.Ng5 Rxe5+ 13.dxe5 e6 14.Qd2 (14.f4? Bxe5) 14…Nxe5 15.Be2 Nf5 Black’s pieces are very active and he has full compensation for the exchange]
10…fxe5 11.Bxc6 Rxf4 < 12.Bxd5+ e6 13.Bb3 e4 14.Ne2?!
Correct is 14.Nd2!
14…Rf8 15.Ne5 e3! 16.0–0
Jesca did not like 16.fxe3 Qh4+ 17.g3 (17.Kd2? Bxe5 18.dxe5 Rd8+ 19.Nd4 Qg5 striking at e5, g2 and d4) 17…Qe4 18.Rh2 Bxe5 19.dxe5 Nf5 it is hard to believe that White can hold this position.
16…exf2+ 17.Rxf2 Rxf2 18.Kxf2 Nf5
Black has a nice attack with no material investment.
19.Nf3 Bd7 < 20.Kg1 Qb6 21.Kh1 Rd8 22.Qe1 Qd6 23.Rd1 Bh6?
An inaccuracy. Better is 23…Bc6 < 24.Ng5 Bd5 both sides are still fighting
24.Ne5
White misses her chance for 24.d5! e5 25.Nc3 and it is White who has the upper hand.
24…Kg7 25.Nc3 Bc8 26.Ne4 Qe7 27.Ng4 Bf4 28.Qc3 h5 29.d5+ e5 30.g3?
[30.Ngf2 and White is okay]
30…Nxg3+!
Now White’s position collapses.
31.Nxg3 hxg4 32.Ne4 g3 33.Kg2 Rh8 34.Rh1 Bf5 35.Nxg3 Qg5 36.Re1 Rxh3 0–1
Bobby Ang is a founding member of the National Chess Federation of the Philippines and its first Executive Director. A Certified Public Accountant, he taught accounting in the University of Santo Tomas for 25 years and is currently Chief Audit Executive of the Equicom Group of Companies.
