R1 Evangelista vs Sol Cruz

National Open
Quezon City

Bd2 San Jose vs Sol Cruz

Salibanda Simultaneous Chess Festival
Paete, Laguna
W Board 2: Grant San Jose, Quesada Memorial National High
B: Rhal Mendoza Sol Cruz, La Salle


[0-1]

FM Bersamina vs Sol Cruz

Training Game

R3 Dellota vs Sol Cruz

MERALCO vs ASKALs
MERALCO, Pasig City
R3 G/25
White: Ronnie Dellota
Black: Rhal Sol Cruz


1.e4 e5 2.Bc4 Nc6
This move is perfectly playable. However, one should first develop on the side where he will castle, thus 2... Nf6 as played by Wold Champions:
a) Anand of India
http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1018673
b) Kramnik of Russia
http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1565719
c) Topalov of Bulgaria
http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1292559


3.d3 d6 4.Nc3 Na5! 5.Bb3 Nxb3 6.axb3 Nf6 7.h3 d5
[7... Be7]
The first principle of opening play is rapid development of all the pieces. Yusupov in Build Up Your Chess


8.Bg5

After 8.Bg5

8... dxe4
Before making the exchange which will open a file, it is always wise to ask what advantage this will give us. If none, then it is better to put off the exchange until further preparations have been made. Euwe & Kramer in The Middlegame


[8... d4]
The time to secure the advantage of a powerful pawn center is in the opening. Reinfeld in The Complete Chess Player


If we wish to gain a noticeable advantage in space, we must have a firm control over the center, we must break the opponent's resistance there and drive his pieces from there. Kotov in Think Like a Grandmaster


9.Nxe4 Be7
Achieving a sound pawn structure is very important. The future course of the game often depends on the pawn structure. You should avoid unnecessary weaknesses (e.g. doubled pawns or backward pawns). Yusupov in Build Up Your Chess


10.Nxf6 Bxf6 11.Be3 a6
[11... O-O or 11... Bd7 or 11... Qd6]

12.Nf3 O-O 13.O-O Re8 14.Nd2

After 14.Nd2

14... Bg5
[14... Bd7 or 14... Be6]
You try to identify the least active piece, the worst piece, in your own camp, and you look for a way to activate it. Kosikov in Elements of Chess Strategy


15.Ne4 Bxe3
Avoid trades that increase the activity of your opponent's pieces. Weeramantry & Eusebi in Best Lessons of a Chess Coach


16.fxe3 f6  
The pawns in front of the castled K should not be touched unless absolutely necessary, and at least one piece should remain on guard. Reshevsky in The Art of Positional Play


[16... Qe7]
It is a good policy to assign the defense to a threat to an inactive piece. Lasker in Manual of Chess


17.Qh5 Be6! 18.Nc5 Bf7
Do not let enemy pieces remain in your territory unchallenged. Weeramantry & Eusebi in Best Lessons of a Chess Coach


19.Qg4 Qd5 20.Nd7?? Kh8!
In general, it's a good idea to break pins as soon as possible. Evans in The 10 Most Common Chess Mistakes


21.Nxf6 gxf6 22.Rxf6 Rg8!
Aim your pieces at the weak squares surrounding the enemy K. Shipman in Portable Chess Coach


23.Qe2

After 23.Qe2

23... Bh5?
[23... Rxg2+!!! 24.Qxg2 Rg8 -+]
Even a slight weakening of the pawn position round your opponent's castled K creates conditions for striking the decisive blow. Suetin in Soviet Chess Strategy


Search for the combination which brings home your advantage. Lasker in Manual of Chess


24.Qf2 Bg6?
[24... Rxg2+ -+]

25.Rf1 Re8 26.Qe2 Bh5 27.Qd2

After 27.Qd2

27... e4??
Avoid impulsive behavior and snap judgments. A single hasty move can lose a game you spent hours trying to win. Shipman in Portable Chess Coach


[27... Rxg2+ -+]
If you are not aware of the point of your attack, you are vulnerable. Blackaby & Blackaby in Experiencing God


28.R6f5 +- Qd7 29.Rxh5 Qg7


Result: 1/2 - 1/2

R3 Shell Naga 2nd Placer

PACE Kiddies
Quezon City, Philippines
R3 Grand Finals 16-U
White: Davemar Prado
Black: Rhal Sol Cruz


1.e4 e5 2.Bc4 Nc6
This move is perfectly playable. However, 2... Nf6 was often played by World Champions:
a) Anand of India
 (http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1018673)
b) Kramnik of Russia
 (http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1565719)
c) Topalov of Bulgaria
 (http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1292559).


3.d3 Nf6 4.Nf3 d6?
Black can transpose to Giuoco Pianissimo lines with 4... Bc5, while 4... Be7 5 O-O O-O leaves him with options of playing for ... d6 or d5.
Collins in Understanding the Chess Openings


5.h3 [5.Ng5 d5 6.exd5 b5 7.Bxb5 Qxd5 8.Bxc6+ Qxc6] 5... Be7 6. O-O O-O 7. Nc3 Na5
It is always useful to remove the opponent's most active piece.
Romero in Creative Chess Strategy


8. Bb3 Nxb3 9. axb3 b6 10. Bg5 Bb7 11. Nh4 g6
[11... h6 12.Be3 Nxe4 13.dxe4 Bxh4]
Do not let enemy pieces remain in your territory unchallenged.
Weeramantry and Eusebi in Best Lessons of a Chess Coach


12. f4 Nh5 [12... exf4 13.Rxf4 d5 14.Nxd5 Nxd5 15.Bxe7 Nxe7-+] 13. Bxe7 Qxe7 14. Qg4? Nxf4
Rhal has won a pawn!


15. Rae1 Bc8 16. Qg3 Nh5 17. Qf2 Qg5? [a) 17... Bb7 18.Nd5 Bxd5, b) 17... c6 18.Nf3 Bb7, c) 17... Be6 18.Nf3 Nf4] 18. Nf3

18... Qg3?
[18...Qd8]
Do not exchange automatically, for there are positions in which exchanges cause your material superiority to lose its effect.
Euwe in Judgment and Planning in Chess


19. Nd5 Qxf2+ 20. Rxf2 Be6? [a) 20... c6 21 Ne7+ Kg7 22 Nxc6 Bb7 23 Nb4 f5 24 Na2 fxe4 25 dxe4 Rf6 26 Nc3 Nf4, b) 20.... c5 21 Ra1] 21. Nxc7
The tables are turned.


21... Rad8?
[21... Rac8]
It is usually good play to get command of an open file by stationing a R at one end of it.
Staunton in The Chess Player's Handbook


22. Ng5

22... Nf4??
[22... Bd7]
Avoid impulsive behavior and snap judgments.
Shipman in Portable Chess Coach


23. Rxf4 exf4 24. Ngxe6 fxe6 25. Nxe6 Rc8 26. Nxf8 +-


Result: 1-0

Palarong Pambansa Champion

Training Match
DLSU vs LSGH R1
White: Judith Pineda
Black: Rhal Sol Cruz

R3 Cuenca vs Sol Cruz

[W: Chester CUENCA]
[B: Rhal SOL CRUZ, Jr]
[R3 BD26]
[Result: 1-0]
[Event: SHELL Southern Tagalog Elims]
[Site: Batangas City]
[July 18, 2009]

R2: Alaurin vs Sol Cruz

Relorcasa Age Group
14 Under R2 Bd9
W: Gabriel ALAURIN
B: Rhal SOL CRUZ
Celebrity Sports Club



1 e4 e5 2 Bc4 Nf6 3 Nf3 Nc6
By simply developing both N's early in the game, Rhal has stirred the game into the so-called TWO KNIGHTS' GAME. It is one of the oldest of openings, dating back to 1580.

4 Ng5 Bc5
This is the WILKES-BARRE VARIATION.

5 Nxf7 Bxf2+ 6 KxBf2 Nxe4+ 7 Ke3 Qh4 8 NxR Qf4+ 9 Kd3 Nb4+ 10 Ke2 Qf2# [0-1]

R1 Capistrano vs Sol Cruz

Dizon Chess Cup
Angelo Capistrano vs Raul Sol Cruz, Jr.
Oct. 23, 2008

1 e4 e5 2 Bc4 Nf6 3 Na3 BxNa3 4 PxBa3 Nc6 5 Bb2 O-O


6 Qe2 b6 7 O-O-O a6 8 Nf3 b5 9 Bb3 b4? 10 Bxe5 NxBe5 11 NxNe5 PxP 12 g3 d6 13 Nc6 Qd7 14 Na5 Qb5 15 QxQ PxQ 16 Nc6 Nxe4! 17 Rf1 Re8 18 Bd5 Ra4 19 Rde1 Bb7 20 Re2 BxNc6 21 BxBc6 Re5 22 d3 Nc3! 23 RxRe5 PxR 24 Re1 f6 25 f4 Rb4?

D1

In my opinion, a possible winning line is 25 ... NxPa2+

26 Kd2 Rb1 27 RxR NxR 28 Kc1 Nc3 29 PxP PxP 30 Kd2 NxP???

D2

31 BxP Kf7??? 32 Be4+ Kf6 33 BxN Kg5 34 Ke2 Kg4 35 Kf2 g5 36 c3 h5 37 d4 PxP 38 PxP h4 39 Be6+ Kh5 40 PxP KxP 41 Kg2 g4 42 Kg1 Kh3 43 Kh1 Kh4 44 Kg2 Kh5 45 h3 PxP 46 KxP Kg5 47 Kg3 Kf6 48 Bb3 Ke7 49 d5 Kd6 50 Kf4 c6!!!

D3

51 Ke4 PxP ... [1/2 - 1/2].