R4 Aguado vs Sol Cruz

PRADA
R4 Lourdes vs La Salle
White: Aaron Aguado
Black: Rhal Sol Cruz
K's Gambit


1. e4 e5 2. f4 exf4 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. d4 Qe7?
Why not Nxe4?


It is not good to play the Q out into the game at the beginning, because she can be attacked by inferior pieces, and is compelled to retire w/ the loss of many moves.
Staunton in The Chess Player's Handbook


5. e5 Nc6 6. Qe2 Nd5 7. c4 Nb6?
The best is Qb4+ where White's best reply is Kf2 or Kd1 - losing the right to castle, since Qd2 gives Black a slight advantage w/ Ne3 while Bd2 gives Black the advantage w/ Qxb2.


8. Bxf4 d6 9. exd6 Qxe2+ 10. Bxe2 Bxd6 11. Bxd6 cxd6 12. O-O O-O 13. Nc3 Bg4 14. h3 Bh5
Black equalizes but the best is Bxf3 (-0.54).


15. d5 Ne7?
The best is Nb4.


16. Bd3 Bg6?
The best is Ng6 where after 17 g4 Nf4 18 Bxh7+ Kxh7 19 gxh5 Nxh5.


17. Bxg6     6 18. Rae1? Nxc4 19. b3 Nb6 20. a4 Rfe8
The best is Rfc8, Rac8, or Nf4.


21. a5 Nd7 22. Rxe8+ Rxe8 23. Nb5 Nf6 24. Nxd6 Rd8 25. Nxb7 Rxd5 26. b4 Rb5 27. Nd6 Rxb4 28. Rc1 Ra4 29. Rc8+ Nf8 30. Nb7 Rb4 31. a6 Ra4?


32. Nc5 Rc4 33. Ne5 Rc2? 34. Rc7? Re2?
The best is Ne4.


35. Nc6 +- 

R3 Sol Cruz vs Sharma

PRADA
Taguig City, Philippines
R3 LSGH vs IS



White: Rhal Sol Cruz
Black: Kushagra Sharma
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.c3 Nf6 4.Be2 g6 5.O-O Bg7 6.h3 O-O 7.d3 c4 8.Re1 cxd3 9.Bxd3 Nc6 10.Be3 b6 11.Nbd2 Bb7 12.Nf1 Rc8 13.Ng3 Na5 14.Qe2 Nc6 15.Rac1 Nd7 16.Bb5 Qc7 17.Qd2 a6 18.Bxc6 Bxc6 19.Bh6 Nf6 20.Bxg7 Kxg7 21.Nd4 Bd7 22.Qg5 Qc5 23.e5 Ng8 24.Ngf5 Bxf5 25.Nxf5 Kh8 26.Nxe7 Nxe7 27.Qxe7 dxe5 28.Qxe5 Qxe5 29.Rxe5 Rfe8 30.Rxe8 Rxe8 31.Kf1 Kg7 32.Re1 Rd8 33.Ke2 Kf6 34.Rd1 Re8 35.Kf3 Re6 36.Rd7 h5 37.h4 a5 38.g3 Kg7 39.a4 Kf6 40.Rd5
[40.Rc7]


40... Kg7 41.b4 axb4 42.cxb4 Kf6 43.Rb5 Ke7 44.a5 bxa5 45.bxa5 Re1
At around this point, Black with less than 5 minutes on his clock claimed a draw with the arbiter who in turn let the game to continue.


46.Rb7 Kf6 47.a6 Ra1 48.a7 Kg749.Ke3 +- Kf6 50.Kd4 Ke6 51.Kc5 f5 52.Kb6 Kd6 53.Rg7
[53.Rb8]


53... Rb1 54.Ka6 Ra1 55.Kb7 Rb1 56.Ka8?
[56.Kc8]


56... Kc6 57.Rxg6 Kc7 58.Rg8 Rb7?? 59.Rf8?


Result: 1/2-1/2 (Declared by the arbiter on account of a claimed draw earlier)

R1 de Leon vs Sol Cruz

PRADA
International School, Taguig City
R1 Marist vs La Salle
White: Haince De Leon
Black: Rhal Sol Cruz Jr
London System


1. d4 d5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. Bf4 e6
Other moves are:
a) c6 in Kamsky-Kramnik
http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1417292
b) c5 in Kamsky-Carlsen
http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1379691
c) Bf5 in Kamsky-Shulman
http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1457363


4. e3
This is the symmetrical 4 pawns center with d-pawns forward (White has pawns on d4 and e3, Black has pawns on d5 and e6).


4... Bd6
As played by World Champions:
a) Lasker, author of Manual of Chess, vs Blackburne
http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1029240
b) Capablanca, author of Chess Fundamentals, vs Rubinstein
http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1093077


5. Ne5
Blackburne retreated the B to Bg3 while Rubinstein developed a N to Nbd2.


5... O-O 6. Bd3 Nbd7
[6... c5 a) 7.dxc5 Bxc5 8.O-O Nc6 - Rybka, b) 7.Nc3 c4 8.Be2 a6 - Houdini]
In the symmetrical 4 pawns center w/ the d-pawns forward, the emphasis is on the advance c4 (c5), and thus the main struggle often shifts to the Q-side. Euwe and Kramer in The Middlegame


7. c3 b6 8. Nd2 Bb7 9. O-O Re8
[9... Rc8]
In the opening, shift the Rs toward the center, on files likely to be opened. Chernev in Logical Chess Move by Move


10.h3

10... Bf8?
Do not move any piece twice in the opening, but put it at once upon the right square. Lasker in Common Sense in Chess


[10... Bxe5 11.dxe5 Nc5]
In cramped position, try to relieve the pressure by forcing exchanges of pieces. Chernev in Logical Chess Move by Move


11.Bg5 Be7
[12... h6]


12. f4 Ne4
[12... c5]


13. Bxe7

13... Qxe7?
[13... Rxe7 14.Qc2 Nxd2 15.Qxd2, if 15.Bxh7+ Kh8 -+ ]


14. Nxe4! dxe4 15.Bb5 c6?
[15... Nxe5 16.Bxe8 Nf3+ 17.gxf3]


16.Nxc6 Bxc6?
[16... Qh4]


17.Bxc6 +-

Result: 1-0

2nd Gold: PRADA Best in Board 3

Rhal scored 8 wins in 9 games to capture the gold medal on Board 3 in his first PRADA stint participated in by 10 private schools in Metro Manila. This year's edition was hosted by MARIST of Marikina.

R9: Sol Cruz vs Relativo

PRADA R9
La Salle vs Marist
W: Rhal SOL CRUZ, Jr. - La Salle
B: Paul RELATIVO - Marist
BD 3



RESULT: 1-0

This was the last round of the tournament and with the win Rhal finished with an amazing 8 wins in 9 games and won the gold medal for Board 3.

R8: Sol Cruz vs Atkins

PRADA
La Salle vs Brent
MARIST, Marikina City
W: Rhal SOL CRUZ, Jr.
B: Blaine ATKINS
R8 BD3



Logical Chess
The posting of a R on the 7th rank, in the middle game or the ending, is a tremendous positional advantage.

Result: 1-0

R7: Tanyag vs Sol Cruz

PRADA R7
Lourdes vs La Salle
W: Aaron TANYAG
B: Rhal SOL CRUZ, Jr.
Board 3



RESULT: 0-1

THE CHESS PLAYER'S HANDBOOK
It is usually good play to get command of an open file, that is to say, a file which is occupied by no other man, by stationing a R at one end of it.

Perando vs Sol Cruz

PRADA
Marikina City, Philippines
White Dexter Perando
Black Rhal Sol Cruz
C50 Hungarian Defense

1 e4 e5 2 Nf3 Nc6 3 Bc4 Be7 4 d3 Nf6 5 Nc3 d6 6 O-O O-O 7 Be3 Be6 8 Bxe6 fxe6 9 Bg5 Qd7 10 Bxf6 Bxf6 11 Qe2 Rae8 12 Qe3 a6 13 Ng5 Nd4 14 Rac1 d5 15 exd5 exd5 16 Nf3

16... Nc6
[16... c6! 17 Rb1 Qg4 18 h3 Nxf3+ 19 Kh1 Qf5]

17 Qc5 d4 18 Qd5+ Qf7 19 Qxf7+ Rxf7 20 Nd5 Rd8 21 Nxf6+ Rxf6 22 Rce1 Re8 23 Re4 Rfe6 24 Ng5 R6e7 25 f4 exf4 26 Rfxf4 Rxe4 27 Rxe4 Rxe4 28 dxe4 Nb4 29 c3 dxc3 30 bxc3 Nxa2 31 c4 Nc3 32 e5 

32... Ne2+?

[32... a5 -+]

33 Kf2 Nd4 34 e6 Nc6 35 Ke3 h6 36 Nf7 Kf8 -+

 

Sol Cruz vs Bathula

PRADA 2009 R5
Midgets Division
White: Rhal SOL CRUZ, Jr., LSGH
Black: Abhinav BATHULA, ISM
MARIST, Marikina City
[1-0]

ATENEO vs LA SALLE

PRADA R1
W: Jett MARCOS - Ateneo
B: Rhal SOL CRUZ, Jr. - La Salle
MARIST, Marikina City
[0-1]



After 17. fxe3, RYBKA recommends 17... Ng4!? 18.Qe2 Nxe3 19.Rfe1 Nxc4 20.Rxc4 Rxc4 21.Qxc4 -+

After 22.Be2, RYBKA recommends 22... Nd5 23.Rb3 Rc2 24.Kf1 -+