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Our very own Bernadette Galas a graduating high school student of Gen. Pio del Pilar in Makati City proved herself well indeed in the just concluded Zone 3.3 Asian Chess Championship from Jan. 21-29, 2012 at the International Convention Center in Tagaytay City.
Bernadette Galas became the country’s newest Woman International Master WIM at the age of 16 in her first try at the Zonals after placing 2nd behind the event’s winner WGM Nguyen Thi Thanh An from Vietnam. With 6.0/9 Bernadette actually shared 2nd-4th places with other Asian contingents WIM Medina Warda Aulia from Indonesia and WGM Pham Le Thao Nguyen of Vietnam but prevailed and grabbed the number two spot on superior tiebreaks.
This new title conquest for Bernadette is not as easy as we might think it was, rather full of lowliness and lost chances particularly in the early rounds of the tournament when the rhythm was not there, she can’t even ignite better moves to make her opponents more disturbed . When she suffered two consecutive defeats in the first two rounds this might be an indication that she should pack her things and go home.
Probably Bernadette’s mind wander a little bit that when you lose some you also win some and before heading for home she might as well will give one more shot at it.
In round three Bernadette changed gear, now her goal was less clouded of anticipation and the determination changed dramatically in the next four rounds when she suddenly racked up points to catch the leaders and along the way hammered convincing wins over two WFMs from Indonesia Dewi Aa Citra and Fisabilillah Ummi then scorched her first WGM victim Pham Le Thao Nguyen of Vietnam who placed 4th in the Asian Individual Chess back in 2010 behind winner GM Hou Yifan.
The two earlier setbacks are just roadblocks, the traffic ahead seems bearable but the battle continued and stronger opposition are just around the corners.Bernadette’s win run was halted in round six when she lost the good fight over the tournament winner WGM Nguyen Thi Thanh An.
But Bernadette’s decisive victory in the penultimate round over the event’s top seed IM Munguntuul Batkhuyag of Mongolia rated 2453 in a Sicilian Defense tussle proved she was the revelation in the Women’s section of the Zonals and the effect of which is she’s to face another WGM in her final round assignment.
In her game against WGM Pham,Bernadette showed how to hold on the gambit pawn and still manage to stir counterplay in the queenside and eventually won to account for her first WGM scalp. The last round encounter however is quite a contrast, when WGM Hoang Thi Bao Tram opted to hold on the offered pawn instead but leaves his king position under tremendous attack. Bernadtte’s trio of excellent moves to get more pieces involve in the attack beginning on move 16…e5 caused white to lose a piece to lessen the onslaught. White gained two dangerous passed pawns, but Bernadette had seen further and got it all locked-up. Her second WGM scalp on record coupled with an IM win in round 8.
Philippines’ untitled player Bernadette Galas displayed nerves of steel in her round six assignment in the ongoing 3.3 Zonal Chess Championships at the International Convention Center ICC in Tagaytay City.
Galas rated 1996 showed fine form (as she always did, I’ve seen her play in local Rapid tourneys) in her game opposite WGM Pham Le Thao Nguyen from Vietnam who placed 4th in the 2010 Asian Individual Chess behind winner GM Hou Yifan. Unmindful of the more than 400 ratings difference, Galas accepted the pawn offer in a delayed Queen’s pawn game gambit. Most books often will tell us to return the same pawn in a much later time and in our terms. But there was another path to it too as well.
This path of holding on the pawn was Bernadette’s choice, as she was defending it, she brought out her pieces and developing too at the same time, even at times leaving her opponent in a cramped Queenside.
The slash and burn tactics employed by Bernadette in the coming struggle hampered white’s efforts to recover the lost pawn. Bernadettes’s more active pieces gained the upperhand when she’s able to take a rook advantage and the fight over the pawn which started it all and soon to cost white another pain. WGM Pham Le Thao Nguyen resigned after move 41. Bernadette Galas scalped her first WGM victim 0-1.
(SPOT.ph) Cyberspace has become the platform of the best and worst things that people can come up with when they're online. While it's a hotbed of game-changing ideas and artistic expression, it has also turned into a breeding ground for trolls and cyberthugs. That being said, well-meaning Pinoy lawmakers thought it best to pass Republic Act No. 10175 or The Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012.But, wait! There's a catch. This very same law that professes to protect us from those who would do us wrong via digital means also threatens to take away our freedom to say what we want.
