Don't judge the mind by his muscles

"I judge people based on their capability, honesty, and merit."
--Donald Trump

By Alex P. Vidal

NEW YORK CITY -- At first glance, Fil-Am Jay Abellanosa can be mistaken for a bodybuilding champion: he looks tough with strengthened and enlarged muscles like Arnold Schwarzenegger and Lou Ferrigno.

In 2010, when Abellanosa transfered here after living for 26 years in Los Angeles, he sauntered in Elmhurst Park on Broadway, Queens.
Fellow Fil-Am park habitues, thinking he was a push over because of his built, challenged him for chess matches.
"Bodybuilder lang yan walang alam yan sa chess (he is just a bodybuilder and doesn't know how to play well in chess)," Abellanosa quoted one of the punks as murmuring.
Abellanosa accepted the challenge and routed them all in blitz and slow game.
To their shock and horror, Elmhurst chessers realized they had been bombed out by a three-time category World Open chess champion.

Abellanosa, 64, copped the World Open Under-16, Under-18, and Under-19 titles held in Philadelphia and Long Beach respectively more than 20 years ago.

CLUB

Born in Lapasan, Cagayan De Oro City where he used to maintain a modest chess club, Abellanosa arrived in the US in 1985 as a seaman.
"Nag jump ship ako, frankly speaking," he revealed.
In California, Abellanosa married an American citizen and they produced two children: a male, now 24; and a female, now 21.

In ruling the three category championships in different years and venues, Abellanosa pocketed some $35,000 cash, making him one of the winningest unrated Filipino chess players in the US circuit in the 90s.
He credited Rodrigo Atutubo, a Philippine national master and former Olympian from Silay City, as the Filipino chesser with highest earnings in US chess at $50,000.
"They were wondering who I am and where I came from because in the Philippines, I am a nobody. I never won a major title in the Philippines, and nobody knew me there as a chess player," Abellanosa explained.

SERIOUS

He became a serious chess player only in the US after he met cracked Philippine masters Reylan Magbanua, Sammy Labrador, Juliebert David, Oscar Tan, and International Master Angelo Young in Los Angeles' McArthur's Park.

"They were the ones who helped hone my skills. They were the ones who egged me to be serious in chess so I could also win in tournaments," disclosed Abellanosa, who openly campaigned for Donald Trump even during a chess tournament in Manhattan in September 2016.
While preparing for big tournaments in the 90s, Abellanosa worked as security guard in Hotel Belmont and in Dun Bar armored vehicle in L.A. alternately.
"I studied hard. I made a research of the games of grandmasters. I really did my homework and all my sacrifices have paid off," he narrated. "I was so serious with chess at that time."
Abellanosa goaded Filipino chessers who crumbled in the recently concluded World Open in Philadelphia held from June 29-July4, not to lose hope.

HIGHEST

GM Oliver Barbosa (FIDE 2589) was the highest Filipino finisher at 14th with 6.5 points in Open category won by GM Tigran L Pitrosian (FIDE 2595), who steamrolled Barbosa in the final round.
"(They should) research and study more; continue to play with stronger players and set aside their pride," he enthused.
"Even (former world champion and American genius) Bobby Fischer lost during his early years in chess. He also cried and his mother mollified and egged him to move on until he became a world champion."
Abellanosa' philosophy in life: "I will respect a person because he is a human being, not because he is somebody in society; not because he is a champion, a doctor, a politician, or a person with big name and title."

Senior Fil-Am chesser eyes World Open Under1800 title anew

By Alex P. Vidal

NEW YORK CITY -- "Gusto kong manalo ulit eh (Because I want to win again)," shot Normando “Andy” Bragat Punzalan, a Fil-Am winner of the 7th Annual World Open Chess Under1800, explaining why he kept himself busy practicing in Elmhurst every day since April.

PUNZALAN AND LABAY May 26, 2017 at Elmhurst Park

Punzalan, 73, targets the 45th Annual World Open in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on June 29-July 4, 2017 where he will play again in Under1800.
If he wins, Punzalan will become the first senior Fil-Am to win four times in different years and categories.
"This is what motivates me," he added. "I want to establish another record."
To rev up for the Philadelphia chessfest, Punzalan has tapped former De La Salle University coach and blitz king Rainer Labay, veteran of the 44th Annual World Open.
He also plans to collaborate with New Jersey-based National Master Mario Rebano and outstanding chess trainer and Mindanao champion Vincent Umayan.

CONFIDENCE

"I have confidence with Labay, Rebano, and Umayan. I have played together with them in strong tournaments in the US," Punzalan explained.
Labay has started revitalizing Punzalan's speed by asking chess players in their watering hole at the "Mansion" on Britton Street in Elmhurst, Queen to spar with the senior chess champion in blitz matches.
"So far so good," enthused Labay, who aired the matches "live" on Facebook. "He beat us all in 5-1 (five minutes for Punzalan and one minute for the Britton players composed of top-rated woodpushers)."
Punzalan plays long game with fellow senior chess players at Elmhurst Park for three hours everyday.
He has tangled with highly-touted Gilbert Gonzales and Bein Villanueva, Camelo "Jun" Galinea,  among other park aficionados.
He is also coordinating with fellow Commercial League Chess campaigner Nonoy Rafael.
"Kailangan ko pa more games and more practice mahaba kasi ang tournament sa World Open (I need to log more games and more practice sessions because the tournament in the World Open is long)," Punzalan stressed. "I am more comfortable training in Labay's camp because they are really good and sincere (to help me in my preparations)."

Saturday with Demetrio

"A journey is a person in itself; no two are alike. And all plans, safeguards, policing, and coercion are fruitless. We find that after years of struggle that we do not take a trip; a trip takes us."
--John Steinbeck

By Alex P. Vidal

NEW YORK CITY -- To escape the "lackluster" day-long rainy Saturday (May 13) in the Big Apple, my friend Demetrio and I spent a fruitful day at the Mohegan Sun in Uncasville, Connecticut.
"The weather forecast says it will rain tomorrow whole day. We need to relax once in a while," volunteered Demetrio, a salesman, while we were killing time and watching chess match in the Queen's Elmhurst Park Friday (May 12) afternoon.
It's not about the trip's "pleasure" why this article was made. It's the accidental journey, the abrupt decision to hit the bus early in the morning and come back in a dreary metropolis at 7:30 in the evening.
More importantly, it's about the lesson and how fruitful was the journey that helped snap the otherwise jaded and stressful week leading to the unplanned state-to-state trip.
"Saturday with Demetrio" was a subtle crash course about healthy living, life after retirement age, how to economize, how to live a simple life, how to deal with man's freakish behaviors, what to eat and what food to avoid in order to maintain a healthy lifestyle, why journalists are non-combatants and why they should be spared from violence, why we should regularly take a laboratory test, how to fight gambling addiction, why we should have a regular exercise, and about family.

ROUND-TRIP

We paid $13 each for the round-trip in a Chinese-run bus that left Elmhurst Park at 9:17 o'clock Saturday morning.
Two hours later, we arrived in one of the largest and most modern hotel-casinos in the United States, with 364,000 square feet (33,800 square meters) of gambling space located on 240 acres (97 ha) along the banks of the Thames River.
As we disembarked from the bus, hotel staff gave us three certificates each--one for a free buffet meal worth $20 and two for the casino table games worth $25 each. Not bad for a $13 round-trip fare.
We had a meeting of the minds. Our purpose was not to gamble but to "ransack" the salubrious buffet area. We went straight to where the action was: the tsibugan galore.
It's a world-class Seasons Buffet featuring nearly 800 seats for the ultimate dining experience.
There were live action cooking stations with an endless array of scrumptious selections featuring fare from around the world like BBQ St. Louis Ribs, Baked Mini Rigatoni Bolognaise and Stir fried Baby Bok Choy.

FAVORITES

Some of the traditional Seasons favorites were Rotisserie Turkey Breast and a new sweet treat Peach Raspberry Trifle.
Demetrio and I immediately "went into action" and availed the buffet room's comfortable and stylish digs.
We had a choice of 106 flavored beverages from the first Coca-Cola Freestyle soda system. Again, not bad for a $13 round-trip fare.
We feasted on Japanese Sushi, suimono soup, wagashi, veggies, fruits, pizzas, Vanilla ice cream with strawberry. We ordered hot tea--black for Demetrio and green for me.
A $5 tip was enough "to make the waitress happy," hissed Demetrio.
When we arrived back in the Big Apple it was around 7:30 in the evening and we parted ways.
Rain hadn't stop until midnight. It was a priceless trip. Worth remembering.
Thank God for the "Saturday with Demetrio." APV.