Christmas Blitz w/ NM Vasquez

MERALCO vs TRANSCO Match

Child's Play 3

November 2007
Lopez Canteen, MERALCO Center, Pasig City

Halloween Blitz

IM Wesley So Simul

Lopez Bldg, MERALCO Center, Pasig City
June 2007

YOUNGEST GRANDMASTER

MERALCO Chess Club Simul
Pasig City
W: GM Wesley SO
B: Junior SOL CRUZ

1 e4 e5
LOGICAL CHESS, "A good way to begin is to release two pieces at one stroke, and this can be done by advancing one of the center pawns."

2 Nf3 Nc6 3 Nc3 Nf6
CHESS FUNDAMENTALS, "Bring out knights before bringing out bishops."


This set-up is called the FOUR KNIGHTS' GAME. Its first Finals appearance was in first World Championship Match of 1886 won by Steinitz over Zukertort.


4 d4
The SCOTCH VARIATION is Wesley's bread and butter play in the World Juniors 2007, vs Howell and Kaplan, where he obtained his 2nd GM norm.


4 ... d6?
Best is either 4... PxP.
MY SYSTEM, "A center pawn should always be taken if this can be done without too great danger."


or 4... Bb4 
MASTERING THE CHESS OPENINGS, "Get as many pieces developed as possible, preferably early in the game."


5 Bb5
THE GAME OF CHESS, "One of the most frequent and most dangerous forms of attack is the pin."

5 ... a6 6 BxN PxB 7 PxP PxP 8 QxQ KxQ
KASPAROV TEACHES CHESS, "Beginners and those with insufficient experience should castle at the earliest opportunity. By remaining in the center, the King may be lured to the very center of the board by sacrifices and then disaster becomes imminent."

TURNING ADVANTAGE INTO VICTORY, "The first step to winning a won game is to simplify. This usually means trading queens."


9 NxP
















9 ... Bb4???
THE GAME OF CHESS, "Always consider whether the move you are thinking of making will expose you to a check."


LEARN FROM YOUR CHESS MISTAKES, "It is therefore vital, when your opponent has moved, not only to see and understand what his intention is but also to check again for a reoccurring tactical concept."


10 NxP+ Ke8??? 11 NxR BxN+ 12 PxB NxP 13 O-O Bb7??? 14 Re1 Kd7 15 RxN RxN 16 Bf4 c5 17 Rd1+ Kc8 20 Rf7+ Ka7 21 RxR h6 22 Rd7 g5 23 Be3 Kb6 24 Rf6+ Bc6 25 Rdd6 Kb5 26 RxB c4 27 Rb6+ Ka5 28 RxP+ Kb5 29 Rb6# [1-0].


This was a 15-board simul match that ended 15-0.


Wesley So became the 7th youngest person to become a grandmaster, at 14 years, 1 month and 28 days. He completed his 3rd and final GM norm in December 2007 at the Pichay Cup International Tournament.

MERALCO News: GM Torre

GM Eugene Torre Simul

MERALCO Employees' Day
Technical Services Bldg, MERALCO Center, Pasig City
March 2007

ASIA's FIRST GRANDMASTER

GM Eugene TORRE vs Junior SOL CRUZ
104th MERALCO Employees' Day Simul
Pasig City

1 e4 e5
THE IDEAS BEHIND THE CHESS OPENINGS, "Open with either the e-pawn or the d-pawn."

2 Nf3 Nc6
CHESS FUNDAMENTALS, "Bring out N's before bringing out B's."

3 Bb5
The RUY LOPEZ OPENING.

3 ... d6
In theory, this is the STEINITZ DEFENSE (ECO C62), named after the first World Champion Wilhelm Steinitz of Austria.

MANUAL OF CHESS, "The oldest defense is 3 ... d6, which is the most direct one. Surely a sound and substantial one, though it may not appeal to the high-flown fancy."

4 d4 Nf6 
Often played is 4 ... Bd7 as in Lasker vs Steinitz in World Championship 1894 where the defense was played 4 times. Incidentally, Chessgames.com featured its Game 7, where Lasker sacrificed a B on the 34th move, as Game of the Day with an apt title "Lasker, Ye Shall Receive"


5 Nc3 Be7?
THE COMPLETE CHESS PLAYER, "The time to secure the advantage of a powerful pawn center is in the opening. Likewise, the time to break up a potentially powerful hostile pawn center is also in the opening."

6 PxP Ng8?
THE TEN MOST COMMON CHESS MISTAKES, "Don't lose time by moving the same piece twice."

7 O-O
WINNING CHESS OPENINGS, "The purpose of the opening is to get a safe K and an equal middle game."

7 ... Nh6 8 Nd5 Bf8?
CHESS FUNDAMENTALS, "Before development has been completed, no piece should be moved more than once, unless it is essential in order to obtain a material advantage or secure freedom of action."

9 Bg5 Qd7 10 BxN PxB?? 11 Nf6+
THE TEN MOST COMMON CHESS MISTAKES, "Many beginners have trouble mastering the tricky gyrations of the only piece that can leap over friendly or enemy units."

11 ... Ke7 12 NxQ BxN 13 PxP+ PxP 14 e5 PxP 15 Re1 f6 16 BxN BxB 17 Nd4 Bd5 18 Nf5+ Ke6 19 Qg4 Rg8??? 20 QxR KxN 21 QxB Kg6 22 Rad1 Be7 23 Rd3 Rd8 24 Qe5+ Kf7 25 Qc4+ Kf8 26 Rg3 Ke8 27 Qe6 Rd7 28 Rg8# 
[1-0].

Tahanan Walang Hagdanan