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The Saudi Chess Federation is pleased to announce that Hail’s International Open tournament will take place from the 12th to October 15th in the Prince Abdulaziz Bin Musa’ad sport city, hosted by Abar Hail company.

Since initial announcement, more than 100 Men and Women have registered in one of the federation’s early preparation tournaments. the event aims to enhance skills of all participants before the upcoming regional and global events. It is also for the federation staff to prepare for engaging in the process of hosting more high-caliber International events in the near future.

The tournament is played under Swiss System of 7 rounds scheduled on the 14th and 15th of October 2021. The tournament is open to rated and unrated players.

Visit chess-results.com for men and for women.

by Marlon Bernardino
MANILA, Philippines—Philippine National Master Elwin Herbias Retanal dominated the tough Riyadh Chess League Open Tournament at the Villagio Mall Al Batha, Riyadh City, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia from September 25 – October 2, 2021.

The Cebuano native Retanal, the top player of PCAP Vice Chairman Dr. Ariel Potot of Lapu-Lapu Naki Warriors, split the point with Cesar Marabulas in 30 moves of a Kings Indian defense in the last round of the 10 minutes plus 2 seconds increment time control format.

The Malita, Davao del Sur resident Retanal, 1997 national junior champion, scored 6.5 points on 6 wins and 1 draw to rule the 7-round tournament.

Retanal won a trophy, gold coin 18Karat and goodies in the over the board chess tournament. The veteran chesser is currently in Riyadh to work as Captain Waiter in King Salman Palace Arqa Al Khuzama. He is also an active member of Riyadh Chess League.

Omar Sarivar Gonzales settled for second with 5.5 points. Samat Bakolong, Aldrin Gallardo and Ahmad Morsalim were tied at 3rd to 5th places with 5 points each while Cesar Marabulas landed at 6th with 4.5 points.
Rounding up the top 11 who totes 4 points each were Gerard Rodrigo (7th), Richard Matibag (8th), John Golpeo (9th), Augusto Abo (10th) and Nero Christoffer (11th).

With the victory, Retanal’s performance boosted the nation’s image as chess champions, said PCAP Vice Chairman Dr. Ariel Potot who is also the Team Owner and Manager of Lapu-Lapu Naki Warriors.

China won 3 gold medals followed by Vietnam with 2 golds and Malaysia with one gold to rule the Eastern Asia Youth Chess Championship last weekend from 1-3 October 2021 on Tornelo. Download games from chess-results.com and see round by round results and standings. Watch the closing ceremony held 6th October on .see https://youtu.be/FVc83cxlsoo

Here is the Medal Tally for Eastern Asia Youth Open division. Visit results of Girls Division.

Nguyen Gia Hung Tong (VIE)                    Nguyen Truon an Khang (VIE)       Le Nhat Minh (VIE)

Vietnam won team gold in the under-8 followed by Philippines and Singapore.

Duong Vu Anh (VIE)                 Dau Khuong Duy (VIE)                       Nguyen Duong Bao Kha (VIE)

Vietnam won team gold in the under-10 boys followed by Mongolia and Singapore.

Kong Xiangrui (CHN)                              Ivan Travis Cu (PHI)                                               Zhou Yichen (CHN)

China won team gold in the Under-12 boys followed by Vietnam and Phiilppines.

Chen Yuan (CHN)                             Anh Dinh Minh (VIE)                Cedric Kahiel Abris (PHI)

Vietnam won team gold in the under-14 boys followed by China and Philippines.

Poh Yu Tian (MAS)                                                            Chester Neil Reyes (PHI)                         Batbold Nyamsuren (MGL)

Malaysia won team gold inthe Under-16 boys followed by Vietnam and Philippines.

Huang Renjie (CHN)                                  Yu Kafeng (CHN)                          Tan Jun Ying (MAS )

China won team gold in the under-18 boys followed by Malaysia and Philippines.

Our thanks to the Officials and Arbiters who contributed to the success of the event.

Be an Asian Chess Federation Certified Online Arbiter

Learn how to manage Zoom and popular chess tournament Host Internet Platforms such as Tornelo, Chess.com, Lichess and others. The course is open to NAs, FAs and IAs.

Registration fee is $60 for course and exam. Successful participants will receive Asian Chess Federation Certificate necessary to be arbiter in Asian online championships.

Download Registration Arbiters Workshop Oct 2021

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The Bangladesh Chess Federation under the auspices of the Asian Chess Federation (ACF) and the International Chess Federation (FIDE) and in cooperation with the FIDE Trainers Commission and Elegant Chess Academy, have the honor to invite all Asian National Chess Federations to participate in the 2021 Asian Academies Hybrid Chess Championships scheduled 20-29 November 2021 on Tornelo.

Download Asian Academies Hybrid Chess Regulations 2021 and Asian Academies Registration Form

Congratulations to newly elected Singapore Chess Federation President Dr Hsu Li Yang, General Secretary Lim Bernard Carleton and the new Executive Council.

Indian IM Sankalp Gupta became the unbeaten champion in the Joytu Sheikh Hasina International Grand Masters Chess Tournament held 19-27 September 2021 in Dhaka, Bangladesh. A total of 62 players including Grandmasters, International Masters and International Women’s Masters from different countries including Bangladesh participated in the 9-day 9-round Swiss-League competition.

The Prize-Distribution and closing ceremony of the Joytu Sheikh Hasina International Grandmasters Chess Tournament 2021, sponsored by the Canadian University of Bangladesh and organised by the Bangladesh Chess Federation. The event marked the occasion of the 75^th birth anniversary of Honorable Prime Minister of the Government of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh Sheikh Hasina, MP. It was held at the Hotel Sheraton Dhaka.

Mr. Hasan Mahmud, MP Hon’ble Information Minister of the Government of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh was present as the chief guest and distributed prizes among the winners.

Mr. Md. Zahid Ahsan Russel, MP, State Minister for Youth and Sports of the Government of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh was present as the special guest.

Dr. Chowdhury Nafeez Sarafat, Founder and Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Canadian University of Bangladesh presided over the ceremony.

Mr. Tarafdar Md. Ruhul Amin, Managing Director of Saif Powertech Limited and Vice President of Bangladesh Chess Federation, Mr. Syed Shahab Uddin Shamim, General Secretary of Bangladesh Chess Federation and President FIDE Zone-3.2, Dr. Shoeb Riaz Alam, Additional DIG and Joint Secretary of Bangladesh Chess Federation and Mr. Mainuddin Moneem, Managing Director of the Abdul Monem Group gave speeches in the ceremony.

Mr. Md Musaraf Husain  Molla, Additional Secretary of Youth & Sports Ministry, Mr. KM Shahidullah, Vice President of Bangladesh Chess Federation and Masudur Rahman Mallick Dipu, Joint Secretary of Bangladesh Chess Federation were present on the stage.

Champion IM Sankalp earned 7 points to clinch the title. Five players scored six and a half points each. In the tie-breaking system among them, India’s IM Mitrava Guha became runner-up, India’s IM Aronyak Ghosh became third, India’s IM Sayantan Das became 4^th fourth, Bangladesh’s GM Ziaur Rahman became fifth and Iran’s GM Mosadeghpour Masoud became sixth. Indian IM Mohammad Nubairshah Shaikh became 7^th, IM Neelash Saha became 8^th and GM Vadim Malakhatko of Belgium became 9^th with 6 points each.

For the special prizes of Bangladeshi players: GM Enamul Hossain Razib came first with five and a half points, FM Sheikh Nasir Ahmed came second with five points, FM Debaraj Chatterjee became third IM Abu Sufian Shakil came fourth and FM Md Taibur Rahman became fifth with with four and a half points each. The ninth or final round match was held today (Monday) at Hotel 71’s Aamrakanan.

In the last round: IM Sankalp drew with Aronyk, GM Masoud beat Mitrabha, IM Neelash drew with IM Nubairshah, IM Sayantan beat IM Srijit, GM Zia beat Sanket Chakravarty, GM Vadim Malakhatko of Belgium beat Sourath Biswas of India, GM Razib drew with Kaustav Chatterjee of India, Subhayan Kundu drew with IM Asyl Abdyjapar of Kyrgyzstan, GM Kislinsky Alexey of Chez Republic drew with GM Andrey Sumets of Ukraine, GM Ghaem Ehsan Maghami of Iran beat FM Md Taibur Rahman, GM Deep Sengupta of India beat IM Mohammad Fahad Rahman, IM Sammed Jaykumar Shete of India beat WIM Arpita Mukharjee , GM Alexander Zubarev of Ukraine beat FM Piyumantha Sasith Nipun of Sri Lanka,  CM Liyanage Ranindu Dilshan of Sri Lanka beat Mahmood Lodhi of Pakistam, FM Nasir beat FM Subrota Biswas,  IM Shakil drew with CM Manon Reja Neer and CM Tahsin Tajwar Zia drew with CM Md. Jamal Uddin.

The winners were awarded fifteen thousand us dollars. champion Sankalp receiving four thousand us dollars, runner-up Mitrabha received two thousand five hundred us dollars, third Aronyak Ghosh received fifteen hundred us dollars, 4^th to 8^th places Sayantan, Zia, Masood, Nabirshah and Neelash received one thousand us dollars each. Among the Bangladeshi players, Rajib received a special prize of seven hundred US dollars, Nasir five hundred us dollars, Debaraj four hundred dollars, Shakil and Taibur received two hundred US dollars.

Media Committee

Bangladesh Chess Federation

by Marlon Bernardino
MANILA, Philippines—University of Santo Tomas top chess player Samson Chhiu Chhin Lim ruled the Grandmaster Rosendo Carreon Balinas Jr. Memorial Open Chess Tournament virtually held at Lichess.org Platform on Sunday, September 26, 2021.

Lim’s superior tie break points earned him the coveted title and P10,000 top cash prize in the one day event hosted by Dr. Joe Balinas and Engr. Antonio “Uncle Paps” Balinas of the organizing Bayanihan Chess Club and sponsored by GM Balinas and Family.

Lim and Chester Neil Reyes, both tallied 17.5 points in this 20 Rounds Swiss System Bullet Online Tournament.
The 21 year old Lim is playing under the guidance of UST head coach GM candidate Ronald Dableo and GM Darwin Laylo.

The 16 year old Reyes, the pride of National University on the other hand, received the runner-up purse of P6,000 for his efforts.

In third place was FIDE Master Alekhine “Bbking” Nouri, who took home P5,000. He was followed by National Master Mark Jay Daños Bacojo  for fourth place with P4,000 and FIDE Master Robert Suelo Jr., fifth place and P3,000.

Rounding up the top 10 finishers who pocketed P2,000 each were sixth placer FIDE Master Nelson Villanueva, seventh placer two-time Asian Junior Champion Grandmaster Rogelio “Banjo” Barcenilla, eighth placer Allan Pason, ninth placerAnatoly Pascua and tenth placer Aljie Cantonjos

by Marlon Bernardino
MANILA, Philippines—Laguna Heroes extended its winning streak in the third conference of the Professional Chess Association of the Philippines (PCAP) after edging the Cavite Spartans via a 11.5-9.5 victory on Saturday night, September 25, 2021 virtually held at Chess.com Platform.

Laguna prevailed over Cavite in the rapid game (8-6), with two-time Asian Junior champion Grandmaster Rogelio “Banjo” Barcenilla Jr., Grandmaster John Paul Gomez, Michella Concio and Kimuel Aaron Lorenzo winning their matches to climb to a 6-1 win-loss slate in the Northern Division.

Despite one pawn down, Barcenilla escaped in a drawish position against Filipino and United States chess master Almario Marlon Quiroz Bernardino Jr. in 41 moves of a King’s Indian defense, Gomez toppled Jaypie Bolado in 42 moves of a Slav defense, Concio beat Melizah Ruth Carreon via forfeiture due to the latter’s poor internet connection while Lorenzo beat Richard Cornell Manzano in 46 moves of a Sicilian defense, Dragon Variation.

Eliodoro “Louie” Polistico, Clark Dela Torre and Lourecel Hernandez Ecot spearheaded Spartans.
Polistico subdued FIDE Master Jose Efren Bagamasbad in 38 moves of an English Opening, Dela Torre trounced Vince Angelo Medina in 50 moves of a Vangeet Opening while Ecot dismantled Arjie Bayangat in 78 moves of a Modern defense.

“We’re happy with the win. It was a tough match against Cavite,” said Arena Grandmaster Dr. Fred Paez, one of the four co-team owners of the Laguna Heroes together with Mr. David Nithyananthan of KALARO, Engr. Benjamin Dy of SDC Global Choice and Engr. Jonathan Mamaril of Oregon, USA.

The Heroes were held to a 3.5-3.5 draw in the blitz category, with Barcenilla,  Gomez and Lorenzo winning while Bayangat settled for a draw.

Backed up by Greatech Philippines, Inc., SDC Global Choice, Jolly Smile Dental Clinic, KALARO and Rotary Club of Nuvali, the Laguna Heroes also beat Cagayan Kings, 15.5-5.5.

Up next for the Heroes are the Isabela Knight Raiders and the San Juan Predators on Wednesday.