tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6942612295268442022024-03-14T07:38:30.079+08:00ChessHeroes"Where the Pin is mightier than the sword" - Fred ReinfeldDes Catoloshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03667134403447404389noreply@blogger.comBlogger815125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-694261229526844202.post-77749676708331370332010-11-26T17:47:00.015+08:002010-11-27T11:21:38.380+08:00Silver that shines twice than usualMan, we fought mighty China today. No chance. It was never close. No surprise. But they deserve all the merit. We still belong there on top, among the best in Asia.After beating India in the semis (proving that their 5th round win against the 2nd seed India is no fluke) to reach the finals, the Wesley So led RP chess team lost to host nation and 1st seed, China, 0.5 - 3.5 in the battle for gold Des Catoloshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03667134403447404389noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-694261229526844202.post-62351401292311152052010-11-22T12:28:00.013+08:002010-11-22T15:36:09.100+08:00Reevaluating ChessHeroes blogPromotion from work means more obligation not to mention that we're currently conducting an intensive research work on something that will take years to finish. Fact is, our multi tasking skills has failed us to the degree that we literally forgot to update this blog for over two weeks, which is quite unforgivable for those who are following CH regularly. As Garry Kasparov once said in his well Des Catoloshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03667134403447404389noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-694261229526844202.post-1460245803862658932010-11-03T06:46:00.008+08:002010-11-03T07:34:07.361+08:00Garry Kasparov: world technology is moving very slowlyYou may have probably purchased a new Apple II, or a new iphone and think it's cool to have one of those "state-of-the-art", "space age" gadgets and suddenly you think that current technology is advancing very rapidly in a pace that is quite unimaginable. But ex world chess champ and arguably the greatest mind in chess history think otherwise. So as many other. Kasparov believed that today's Des Catoloshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03667134403447404389noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-694261229526844202.post-66601866742983569012010-10-30T12:37:00.006+08:002010-10-30T13:48:06.988+08:00A win that mattersIt will end in a victory one way or the other. Fortunately, it ends in a victory and Wesley is good to go again. It was like having your first taste of glass of water after spending some time in the desert . After 10 consecutive draws he has fought in SPICE Cup, So finally got his first win in the history of the tournament courtesy of hard headed defending champion, GM Eugene Perelshteyn. Des Catoloshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03667134403447404389noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-694261229526844202.post-8225978494390735692010-10-25T16:45:00.010+08:002010-10-26T21:34:55.691+08:00So, Gomez co winners of the 2010 NCFP training tournament for the Asian GamessIt's two bird in one stone for Wesley So. He tied first with GM John Paul Gomez and got some needed sparring partners as preparation before he fly off to Texas USA for the 2010 SPICE Cup tournament. Incidentally, the tournament also acts as a preparation for the rest of the team for the coming Asian Games in Guangzhou, China starting November 12.The Philippines is still haunted by the 50th placeDes Catoloshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03667134403447404389noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-694261229526844202.post-34394195332417195132010-10-20T10:54:00.007+08:002010-10-21T21:30:06.051+08:00World Youth Chess Championship begins todayThe 2010 World Youth Chess Championship is set to begin today October 20 in Halkidiki, Greece, and will run till 31. The Philippines will be represented by FM Haridas Pascua in the Boys Under 18 category. Wesley So has other commitment and he will be participating in the six man, 2010 SPICE Cup and So maybe on another level to mixed it up with WYCC aspirants. Chessdom.com will be the official Des Catoloshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03667134403447404389noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-694261229526844202.post-40085000033753095802010-10-14T17:54:00.006+08:002010-10-14T18:23:57.965+08:00European Chess Club Cup 2010They call it the chess version of the "European Champions League". For good reason. The European Chess Club Cup will field 24 players rated over 2700+ that will compete for their respective clubs comprised of players imported not just in Europe but from every corner of the planet, mostly from Asia and arguably no other tournament boast of the best selection of team anywhere else. No Filipinos yetDes Catoloshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03667134403447404389noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-694261229526844202.post-81727060273108247572010-10-12T07:04:00.004+08:002010-10-12T07:20:32.253+08:002010 SPICE Cup puts on a recordFor two straight years, GM Wesley So will be participating in the tough SPICE CUP at Texas Tech University, USA. So's performance last year produced neither bad nor impressive result, though some were disappointed. Wesley drew all his games, most of them were but short draws. But a year had passed and So aged a year and has somewhat improve his games so we can expect a different So we saw from Des Catoloshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03667134403447404389noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-694261229526844202.post-90769195211154195152010-10-09T18:21:00.005+08:002010-10-09T18:31:20.609+08:00Wesley So turns 17 today.GM Wesley So turns 17 today, October 9. No other player since the days of GM Eugene Torre that captured the imagination of Philippine chess other than Wesley.CH wish Wesley So a happy birthday and we sincerely hope for more of his success in the coming years. Cheers!Des Catoloshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03667134403447404389noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-694261229526844202.post-26624602617975792932010-10-07T18:15:00.024+08:002010-10-08T18:55:51.797+08:00Olympiad aftermath, emotions should be checked, analyze the final match.Just days after the Philippines fell to it's "worst" place finish in the chess olympiad, both writers and fans alike started to voice out their feelings and opinions on what went wrong. Emotions are high. Some started pointing fingers on who's really to blame for the setback of our RP Men's team. Many agree that it is the NCFP and it's leaders themselves who should be accountable for Des Catoloshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03667134403447404389noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-694261229526844202.post-25295221986928584402010-10-02T16:33:00.007+08:002010-10-02T16:58:56.304+08:002010 Chess Olympiad Final Round: Philippines vs EstoniaThe final round of the 2010 Khanty Manyisks Chess Olympiad will be played today. In the Open section, Ukraine still holding to the lead and the Philippines is currently holding the 31st spot. They have a very good chance of improving their position and lands among the top 30 against the 48 seed Estonia tonight. Live games of the final round provided by Chessdom/Chessbomb will be available for Des Catoloshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03667134403447404389noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-694261229526844202.post-26256010315365476822010-10-02T10:13:00.005+08:002010-10-02T12:21:28.900+08:00Two new Pinoy Chess Grandmasters, GM Rogelio Barcenilla and GM Roland SalvadorIn what many believed as a long over due conferment of the title, Rogelio "Banjo" Barcenilla can finally be call a grandmaster after years of efforts and waiting to established his status, he he is now officially a grandmaster.The journey is not not an easy one. I remember the time when GM Banjo and your truly is on the process of information gathering on the web to provide more testimony when heDes Catoloshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03667134403447404389noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-694261229526844202.post-46109880753331149222010-09-29T06:44:00.013+08:002010-09-29T20:41:53.009+08:002010 Chess Olympiad r8: Bulgaria vs PhilippinesOur regular 8-5 job and those threats imposed of beating deadlines made it close to impossible to update this blog in the past week but we're back on blogging. Though quite inactive from blogging, we still have some time to check in the results of the ongoing chess olympiad happening in Khanty-Manyisks, Russia. Giant chess websites like Chessbase, Chessdom and Chessvibes, each provides and Des Catoloshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03667134403447404389noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-694261229526844202.post-78429043688793914342010-09-22T18:42:00.007+08:002010-09-22T19:18:51.209+08:00Chess Olympiad round 2: Spain vs the Philippines live.The Philippines vs Spain round 2 match up will be featured live through chessbomb.com with computer analyst as reported by Chessdom.com. Board one battle will pit Wesley So against Alexei Shirov. This will be the second time So and Shirov will face each other. In the last edition of the Olympiad in Dresden, So and Shirov game resulted in a draw. In round 1 the Philippine team swept Korea 4-0 Des Catoloshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03667134403447404389noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-694261229526844202.post-37546940784623776432010-09-20T17:50:00.011+08:002010-09-21T19:21:31.725+08:00The Philippines vs Korea Sunday ShowdownOur Philippine chess team in Khanty-Manysk Chess Olympiad needs some inspiration. Well, here's some bits of sports update from our other athletes competing abroad this weekend.The Cecil Mamiit led Philippine team pulls off a big surprise in Korea by beating the hometown players 3-2 in Davis Cup Asia/Oceania Zone Group I. It was a come from behind win for the team as they were down 0-2 on the Des Catoloshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03667134403447404389noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-694261229526844202.post-7706772013026949352010-09-19T17:46:00.010+08:002010-09-19T18:20:38.489+08:00A note from Kirsan Ilyumzhinov?Well, I'm not sure about this one. But the administrator of FIDE president Kirsan Ilyumzhinov Facebook page just leave a note here on ChessHeroes blog regarding my previous post Ilyumzhinov's plan of acquisitions of land near "Ground Zero", a mere publicity stunt?.Dear Des,You can just ask me directly at my Facebook page. But I'd like to tell you that I believe that this plan can be a true Des Catoloshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03667134403447404389noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-694261229526844202.post-36172086948733447262010-09-18T19:15:00.010+08:002010-09-18T19:52:48.818+08:00Ilyumzhinov's plan of acquisitions of land near "Ground Zero", a mere publicity stunt?A Chess Center near Ground Zero? Really? A grand scheme indeed. But Ilyumzhinov's "plan" of buying the site near where the twin towers of the World Trade Center in New York City used to stand can be another one of those strategical moves to get more public support in Ilyumzhinov's candidacy for re-election as FIDE president. Dylan Loeb McClain of New York Times Chess blog, Gambit, hints that Des Catoloshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03667134403447404389noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-694261229526844202.post-33154888883423999842010-09-17T19:58:00.010+08:002010-09-17T21:01:15.138+08:00FIDE wants to acquire the "Ground Zero"To be honest, I don't like the idea of having the land of where the twin towers used to be to be occupied by something that is not co-related with the September 11 terrorist attack in New York City. (Oh yeah, let sentimentality hit me this time real hard!) Since it is a landmark, a memorable, historic ground, chess hasn't something to do with 9-11 terrorist attack. So when Chessdom.com first Des Catoloshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03667134403447404389noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-694261229526844202.post-72638393231000604732010-09-16T17:30:00.029+08:002010-09-16T19:45:04.395+08:00NCFP next move against Antonio maybe too personalAlthough we find no wrong on the side of NCFP (National Chess Federation of the Philippines) to implement disciplinary actions to players if they decide to follow against the rules of the federation, no matter what their status are, but the plan of NCFP to drop Antonio from the patronage of PSC or Philippine Sports Commission and consequently, deprive him of monthly allowance of P20,000 and otherDes Catoloshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03667134403447404389noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-694261229526844202.post-89872116525785632522010-09-15T17:43:00.010+08:002010-09-15T19:04:50.931+08:00With or without GM Antonio, the team moves on and is ready for the Olympiad.With or without GM Joey Antonio in the line up, the Philippine chess team for the 2010 Chess Olympiad in Khanty-Mansiysk, Russia is ready for the challenge. As everybody knows by now, GM Antonio was dropped from the team for some disciplinary actions after committing some bad decisions of not playing in two major FIDE sanction tournament in Manila as part of the team's preparation for the Des Catoloshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03667134403447404389noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-694261229526844202.post-91034832909104778722010-09-13T17:42:00.012+08:002010-09-13T20:53:46.274+08:00Using Chess for Succes in Web Design.Here's a great news for chess players and fans who are thinking of starting a chess blog or site of their own. These days, it is very difficult to do almost about everything without having a personal online sites like blogs, social networking etc, as we are dependent on it as a major form of communication, either to meet new friends and followers or by earning some money. Well, fortunately for usDes Catoloshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03667134403447404389noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-694261229526844202.post-6583563958087570212010-09-07T17:42:00.007+08:002010-09-07T18:11:57.500+08:00Where is GM Bong Villamayor?Wondering why GM Bong Villamayor suddenly disappeared from local chess scene? Here's why. GM Villamayor is currently based in Singapore (he was previously based there prior to his return to the country) where he joins another Filipino grandmaster, Nelson Mariano III as a trainer/coach of a chess school called ChessKidz. GM Nelson Mariano himself first founded the ChessKidz.Just recently, GMs Des Catoloshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03667134403447404389noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-694261229526844202.post-33655044056826805812010-09-05T16:56:00.008+08:002010-09-05T17:12:29.822+08:00The Philippines new chess grandmaster, IM Roland SalvadorReports has it that the Philippines will have a new chess grandmaster, Italy based IM Roland Salvador. That makes Salvador the 12th grandmaster the country has ever produced by far.SALVADOR TOPS ITALY CHESS TOURNEY; RP'S NEWEST GRANDMASTER by Marlon BernardinoFinal Standings: (Open Division, 103 players)7 points---IM Roland Salvador (PHILIPPINES)7 points---GM Vladimir Epishin (Russia)7 points--Des Catoloshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03667134403447404389noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-694261229526844202.post-60619093816318633712010-09-03T18:00:00.032+08:002010-09-04T12:37:37.522+08:001st Campomnes memorial Cup: Jun Zhao takes the cup, photo presentationsWhen everybody is talking about Le Quang Liem, Wesley So, and Anton Filipov as the favorites to win the first ever staging of the Campo memorial, another unheralded young Chinese player in the name of Jun Zhao suddenly emerged out of nowhere to win the biggest tournament to be held in the country in years. The just 11th seed Zhao actually piled up similar output of 6.5 points as that of Des Catoloshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03667134403447404389noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-694261229526844202.post-81252394695726891902010-09-01T07:29:00.009+08:002010-09-01T13:05:24.211+08:001st Campomanes Memorial R6: Chinese players leading the Open and Women SectionGM Jun Zhao (2586)Chinese grandmaster and tournament 11th seed Jun Zhao, is currently leading the 1st Campomanes Memorial after 6 rounds with 5.5 points, a full point ahead of the chasing pack of 9 players with 4.5 points. Zhao will be facing Wesley So (4.5) in the seventh round.WGM Shen Yang (2435)On the women section, 2nd seed WGM Shen Yang has 5.0 total point and is enjoying a half a point Des Catoloshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03667134403447404389noreply@blogger.com0