Fil-Am soldier Adarlo shines in Mansion chess blitz

By Alex P. Vidal

NEW YORK CITY -- Not even a five-month hiatus from the chess board could prevent Michael "Mykey Adarlov" Adarlo from demolishing his seasoned rivals during a two-week Christmas break chess blitz clashes at the Queen's Mansion on Britton Street.

ADARLO (right) ponders his move before pulling the trigger of the chess cylinder versus USCF NM Umayan. Looking are chess analysts Leo Buencocillo and Demetrio Lopez

Adarlo, 32, a Specialist in the United States Army 2nd Infantry Division Striker Unit, emerged almost unscathed in his epic matches against Filipino National Master Mario Rebano, 11th Fairfield County Open (Under 1400) champion Benchly Buccat, United States Chess Federation (USCF) National Master Vincent Umayan, candidate masters Gilbert Gonzalez, Manuel Jurado, and Gerson Caballero, among other cracked woodpushers in the Filipino community in a series of blitz matches from December 14, 15, 16, 21, 22, 23, and 29, 2017.
Adarlo's familiarity with Scandinavian Defense, Rossolimo Attack, Giuoco Piano, Falkbeer Counter Gambit, Catalan Defense, and Chigorin Defense, among other complicated chess openings, defenses, and attacks, rendered his rivals almost dazed and immobile.
Adarlo manhandled his former protege and 27th North American Open Las Vegas-bound Buccat, and edged 2017 Chess-in-the-Park Under 2100 king Rebano in contrasting fashions during their one-on-one friendly duels.

SHARP

"He is still sharp, quick, and his talent remains intact," commented chess coach Rainier Labay, Mansion caretaker and host, who expressed willingness to take the tab for the diminutive but sturdy chesser in any down-the-wire matchup.
Labay said Adarlo is an asset for the Team United States in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Chess Championship organized by the International Military Chess Committe.
"Against players from Denmark, Germany, Poland, Greece, Hungary, Turkey, Romania, Slovakia, the United Kingdom, Adarlo, with his talent, can lift the United States to a major victory," observed Labay.
NATO Chess Tournaments had been held unofficially in Denmark every year since 1978.
They were upgraded to an official NATO Championship, for countries and individuals, when the tournament was held in Hammelburg, Germany in 1989.
Adarlo, originally a Mansion mainstay, temporarily left the chess world to focus on his training as a soldier where he pushed grills and iron bars instead of wooden bishops, pawns, knights, and rooks.
He returned to New York for the holiday break before flying to Alaska to join his fellow soldiers for deployment.
He tots a FIDE rating of 2230 (rapid) and 2097 (blitz).