2017-2018 UAAP Chess Championship (Men’s)
2nd Flr., QPAV Building, UST, España St., Manila
Feb. 17-April 8, 2018
Final Standings
1. National University (NU), 41.5/56
Bd01 IM Paulo Bersamina 14/14, Bd02 Robin Ignacio 4/8, Bd03 FM Austin Jacob Literatus 12/14, Bd04 Rafael Caneda 0/1, Bd05 Ryan Christian Magtabog 9.5/14, Bd06 Neil Conrad Pondoc 2/5. Team Captain: Neil Conrad Pondoc, Team Coach: Jose Aquino, Jr., Team Managers: Samson Go, Manny Go.
2. De La Salle University (DLSU), 33.5/56
Bd01 NM Giovanni Mejia 9.5/14, Bd02 Christian Nanola 7/14, Bd03 Denzel John Amar 6.5/14, Bd04 Jeazzir Kline Surposa 10.5/14. Team Captain: Christian Nanola, Team Coaches: FM Randy Segarra, Susan Grace Neri, Team Managers: Aurelio Family, George Barcelon, Gerardo Achacoso.
3. Far Eastern University (FEU), 32.5/56
Bd01 Rhenzi Kyle Sevillano 9/14, Bd02 NM Paul Robert Evangelista 5.5/11, Bd03 Jose Carlo Castro 0/2, Bd04 Romy Fagon 9.5/14, Bd05 Ferdinand Aviles 3/7, Bd06 Kristian Glen Abuton 5.5/8. Team Captain: NM Paul Robert Evangelista, Head Coach: GM Jayson Gonzales, Asst. Coach: Luffe Magdalaga.
4. University of Santo Tomas (UST), 32.0/56
Bd01 Philip Andrew Uy 5.5/10, Bd02 Heirry Manaloto 8.5/14, Bd03 Christian Anthony Flores 9/14, Michael Angelo Manansala 0/3, Bd05 John Petter Ablid 9/14, Bd06 Jehosphapal Lemi 0/1. Team Captain: Christian Anthony Flores, Team Coach: IM Ronald Dableo.
5. Adamson University (AdU), 30.0/56
Bd01 Remark Bartolome 4/8, Bd02 Godfrey Villamor 1/3, Bd03 Marc Kevin Labog 7.5/14, Bd04 Jayson Levin Tapoia 8/14, Bd05 Khristian Clyde Arellano 8.5/12, Bd06 Christian Huavas 1/5. Team Captain: Marc Kevin Labog, Team Coach: Christopher Rodriguez.
6. University of the East (UE), 28.0/56
Bd01 John Dave Bonifacio 0/2, Bd02 Kimuel Aaron Lorenzo 7/14, Bd03 Keneth Flores 8.5/14, Bd04 Eliseo Budoso 8/14, Bd05 Ronald Allan Barcelon 4/10, Bd06 Sean Andrew Olan 0.5/2. Team Captain: Kimuel Aaron Lorenzo, Head Coach: John Perzeus Orozco, Asst. Coach: Robert Gene Mariano
7. University of the Philippines (UP), 19.0/56
Bd01 Joshua Ryan Nolasco 0.5/6, Bd02 Jefferson Saltorio 2/8, Bd03 Mac Quay Labasano 9/14, Bd04 Justin David Corpin 2.5/11, Bd05 Alson Vincent Lim, Jr. 4/10, Bd06 Shaun Benedict Gan 1/7. Team Captain: Justine David Corpin, Head Coach: FM Leonardo Carlos, Asst. Coach: WIM Catherine Perena-Secopito, Team Manager: Sol Marfori
8. Ateneo de Manila University (ADMU), 7.5/56
Bd01 Joseph Carmelo Tsoi 0/7, Bd02 Lance Augustin Ting 0/8, Bd03 Keefe Elbert Tan 0.5/14, Bd04 Gavin Lloyd Ong 2/12, Bd05 Lorenzo Miguel Marquez 4.5/6, Bd096 Jose Lorenzo Lat 0.5/9. Team Captain: Jose Lorenzo Lat, Team Coach: GM Darwin Laylo, Team Manager: Paco Rivera.
To nobody’s surprise National University won this year’s UAAP chess team tournament. In match points their victory is even more convincing. It won 12 matches and only drew La Salle and FEU in the first half of the tournament. In the second half it was a sweep.
The National University’s team was too strong. On board 1 it was IM Paulo Bersamina who led the way — he played in all rounds and won all of his games — a perfect 14 out of 14.
[NU] Bersamina, Paulo — [UP] Nolasco, Joshua Ryan L [E17]
2017–2018 UAAP Chess (MEN) QPAV Bldg., UST, Manila (1.1), 2018
1.Nf3 Nf6 2.d4 e6 3.g3 b6 4.Bg2 Bb7 5.0–0 Be7 6.c4 0–0 7.d5!
A very dangerous pawn sacrifice used by Lev Polugaevsky in his 1980 Candidates’ match against Viktor Korchnoi.
7…exd5 8.Nh4! <D>
POSITION AFTER 8.NH4
8…c6 9.cxd5 Nxd5 10.Nf5 Ba6
The stem game continued 10…Bc5 11.e4 Ne7 12.Nxg7! Kxg7 13.b4± White had a very strong initiative which he calmly converted into a win. Polugaevsky,L (2635)-Korchnoi,V (2695) Buenos Aires Candidates’ sf 1980 1–0 73.
11.Re1
It seems to me that White can immediately recover his sacrificed pawn with 11.Bxd5 cxd5 12.Nc3 and still remain with the strong initiative, but clearly Bersamina had a different idea.
11…Bb4 12.Bd2 Qf6 13.e4 Bxd2 14.Qxd2 Ne7 15.Nd6 Nc8 16.e5 Qe6 17.Nc3 Nxd6 18.exd6 Qc4 19.Re7
This move does not throw anything away, but White had 19.Nd5! threatening Nc7. After 19…cxd5 20.Bxd5 the rook on a8 is lost.
19…Qd3 20.Qf4 Qc4 21.Qe5 Qc5 22.Qxc5 bxc5 23.Ne4 Bc4 24.Nxc5 Be6 25.b4
Now Black’s queenside pieces are bottled up and Bersamina gets to impose his will on the kingside.
25…a6 26.a4 Ra7 27.a5 h6 28.f4 Bd5 29.Rae1 Be6 30.Be4 Bd5 31.f5 Kh7 32.Bg2 Kg8 33.Re8 Ra8 34.Bf1 Ba2 35.R1e7 Bd5 36.Kf2 Ba2 37.g4 Bd5 38.h4 Ba2 39.g5 hxg5 40.hxg5 Bb1 41.Bc4 Rxe8 42.Rxe8+ Kh7 43.Bxf7 Bxf5 44.Ke3 g6 45.Rg8 Bb1 46.Kf4 Bf5 47.Ke5 Bd3 48.Kf6 1–0
White will swing his rook from g8–e8–e1 and onto the h-file to mate Black.
[AdU] Labog, Marc Kevin — [NU] Bersamina, Paulo [A05]
2017–2018 UAAP Chess (MEN) 1st Flr. QPAV Bldg., UST, Esp. (8.1), 11.03.2018
1.Nf3 Nf6 2.g3 b5 3.Bg2 Bb7 4.0–0 e6 5.d3 d5 6.d4 c5 7.c3 Nc6 8.Re1 Qb6 9.h3 Be7 10.Be3 0–0 11.Ne5 Nxe5 12.dxe5 Nd7 13.f4 Qc7 14.Nd2 f6 15.exf6 Nxf6 16.Bf2 e5 17.e3 Kh8 18.Qe2 a6 19.fxe5
Labog’s idea is that after 19…Qxe5 he will play 20.e4. Paulo does not allow that freeing move.
19…Ne4!
[19…Qxe5 20.e4]
20.Nxe4 dxe4 21.Qh5 g6 22.Qg4 Qxe5 23.Rad1 Bc6 24.Rf1 h5 25.Qe2
[25.Qxg6 Rf6]
25…Bd6 26.Be1 Rxf1+ 27.Bxf1 Rf8 28.c4 Kh7 29.Bg2 b4 30.b3 h4 31.Qg4 hxg3 32.Qh4+ Kg7 33.Rxd6 Qxd6 34.Bxg3 Qf6 35.Qxf6+ Kxf6 36.Bd6 Rd8 37.Bxc5 Rd2 38.Bxb4 Rxa2 39.Bc5 Kf5 40.b4 Ba4 41.Bd4 Rc2 42.Bf1 Bb3 43.b5 Bxc4 44.Bxc4 Rxc4 45.bxa6 Ra4 46.a7 Ra2 47.a8Q Rxa8 48.Kg2 Kg5 49.Bc3 Rf8 0–1
Black will put his rook on f3, win the h3–pawn and then push the g-pawn to victory.
[FEU] Sevillano, Rhenzi Kyle — [NU] Bersamina, Paulo [B21]
2017–2018 UAAP Chess (MEN) 1st Flr. QPAV Bldg., UST, Esp (9.1), 17.03.2018
1.e4 c5 2.f4
Someone did some statistics on the openings played in the giant database of the Internet Chess Club and the most popular opening by far was the King’s Indian Attack. Right behind it is the Grand Prix Attack which is used by White here. Paulo of course knows the theory and how to counter it.
2…d5 3.exd5 Nf6
Some people call this the Tal Gambit and indeed it has an excellent reputation.
4.Bb5+ Bd7 5.Bxd7+ Qxd7 6.c4 e6 7.dxe6
GM Yudasin has tried 7.Qe2 with some success but it seems like 7…Bd6 8.dxe6 fxe6 9.d3 Nc6 10.Nf3 0–0 11.0–0 Rae8 12.Nc3 e5 completely equalizes for Black. Zubov, A.-Averjanov, A. Kharkov 2005 0–1 18.
7…Qxe6+ 8.Qe2 Qxe2+ 9.Nxe2 Nc6
White is still a pawn ahead but his position has a lot of targets for the Black knights.
10.0–0 0–0–0 11.Nbc3 g6 12.f5 Bg7 13.d3 Rxd3 14.Bg5 gxf5 15.Rxf5 Nd7 16.Rxf7 Rg8!
This move starts targeting g2 and that is what proves decisive in this game.
17.Bf4 Nde5 18.Bxe5 Nxe5 19.Rf5 Kb8
[19…Nxc4?? 20.Rxc5+]
20.Nf4 Rd2 21.Ne4 Rxb2 22.Nxc5 Bh6 23.Nce6 Nxc4 24.g3 Nd2 25.Nd5 a5 26.a4 Rc8 27.Re1 Nb3 28.Rf6 Bd2 29.Ref1 Bb4 30.Rh6 Rc6 31.Rhf6 Nd2 32.Rd1 Rxe6! 33.Rxe6 Nf3+ 34.Kf1 Nxh2+ 35.Kg1 Bc5+ 36.Ne3
[36.Kh1 Ng4]
36…Ng4 37.Rd3 Nxe3 38.Rexe3 Re2 0–1
On Tuesday, we will continue our report on this season’s UAAP Chess Championship.
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.
bobby@cpamd.net
