US chess instructor eyes Mansion World Cup title

"Among a great many other things that chess teaches you is to control the initial excitement you feel when you see something that looks good. It trains you to think before grabbing and to think just as objectively when you're in trouble."
--Stanley Kubrick

By Alex P. Vidal

NEW YORK CITY -- Elmhurst Chess Club mainstay Gilbert Buenaflor Gonzales has warned that the entry of United States Chess Federation (USCF) National Master Tyrell Harriott, among other foreign chess masters in the final edition of the 2017 Mansion World Chess Cup Rapid Championship, might derail the chances of Pinoy players aiming for a grand slam. 

USCF Master Tyrell Harriott

"Tyrell will wipe out all our previous edition winners because he is fast and an active blitz player anywhere in New York," feared Gonzales, winner of the Cup's 13th edition.
Gonzales' concern came after tournament arbiter Rainier Labay hinted that they might invite Harriott, a Chess-in-the-Schools full-time classroom instructor, in the Cup's final leg.
"We have the best line-up among the Filipino players and I am confident that we can give the foreign players a run for their money as what they did in the past," quipped Labay, the fastest blitz player in the community.
Meanwhile, Ejhay Labuac, second placer in the 10th edition and former University of Manila champion, disagreed with Gonzales.
"I will retire (from playing chess) if Tyrell will beat us," enthused Labuac, who has played with Harriott in Steinway on several occasions.

CLUB

According to the Manhattan-based Marshall Chess Club, Harriott is an active tournament player who has traveled to many countries to play chess.
"His competitive milestones include: 2nd place U2000 at The World Open in 2012, 1st place U2000 at The Continental Open in 2012, and 1st place U2100 at The Manhattan Open in 2012. Tyrell is passionate about technology and incorporates chess learning software, SMARTBoards, and online assessments into his pedagogy," the chess club reports in its website.
"I want to play in the next one," Harriott, who tots a World Chess Federation rating of 2175 (rapid) and 2197 (blitz), told Labay in a social media message.
"We will invite you next," replied Labay, who, along with FIDE Master Rico Salimbagat, is one of the highest rated Pinoy chessers now campaigning in the US.
The previous winners were: Benchly Buccat (2nd, 6th, 7th, 9th editions); Alex P. Vidal (3rd, 5th, 11th, 12th editions); Normando "Lolo Andy" Punzalan (1st and 4th editions); Gonzales (8th, 13th editions); Albert "Etik Etik" Riviera (10th edition); Thomas Hagakore (14th edition).
The Mansion World Chess Club Rapid tournament was organized in honor of Wesley So, a Cavite-born 24-year-old super-grand master now ranked No. 2 in the world, after he reached the 2017 World Chess Cup semi-finals in Tbilisi, Georgia recently.
He lost to China's GM Ding Liren, who lost to Armenia's GM Levon Aronian in the championship.

'Despite GM So's fall, Britton World Chess Cup will go on'

"In chess, knowledge is a very transient thing. It changes so fast that even a single mouse-slip sometimes changes the evaluation."
-- Viswanathan Anand

By Alex P. Vidal

NEW YORK CITY -- Mansion World Chess Cup Blitz Championship organizer and chief arbiter Rainier M. Labay vowed to continue holding the five-round tournament despite the elimination of Filipino Grand Master Wesley So in the ongoing FIDE World Chess Cup 2017 in Tbilisi, Georgia. 

BLITZ BOSS AND ARBITER RAINIER M. LABAY

The Mansion World Chess Cup was conceptualized after So, 24, a Cavite-born Filipino who now plays for the United States, vaulted into the sem-final of the 128-player single elimination chess tournament.
So lost to upset-conscious Chinese Ding Liren, who is now playing Armenian Grand Master Levon Aronian for the championship in the Biltmore Hotel.

RATED

"Our own version of the World Chess Cup is for the players rated 2200 and below, including those unrated," said Labay, a blitz champion and one of the highest rated Filipino players now based in the United States.
The Mansion edition will be on its sixth edition this week.
"We will also have a tournament for the rated players," added Labay, former coach of the dreaded De La Salle University Chess Team.
A trophy is awarded to the edition champion plus cash.

THIRD AND FIFTH EDITION CHAMPION ALEX P. VIDAL RECEIVES A TROPHY FROM NEW YORK MASTER EJHAY LABUAC 

"We are inspired by Grand Master So's conquest because even if he is playing for the United States, he is still a Filipino by heart," stressed Labay of Valenzuela City in the Philippines.

KNOCK-OUT

The Georgia World Chess Cup tournament is a knock-out, with the exception that there was a provision for the two semi-final losers to play off for third place if necessary.
Matches consist of two regular time limit games (except for the final, and playoff for third if required, which consist of four regular time limit games).
For these two games, players have 90 minutes for the first 40 moves followed by 30 minutes for the rest of the game, with an increment of 30 seconds per move from the start of the game.
The champion gets $120,000 while the runner-up will bring home $80,000.
Aside from So, among those highest rated super grand masters who have been ousted were reigning FIDE world champion and top-seeded Magnus Carlsen of Norway, third-seeded Fabiano Caruana (USA), fourth-seed Vladimir Kramnik (Russia), and eight-seeded Maxime Vachier-Lagrave (France) who lost to Aronian in another semi-final tussle.