Pestaño: Simultaneous chess exhibition

A SIMULTANEOUS chess exhibition is when one player (typically of high rank, such as a grandmaster) plays multiple games at the same time with a number of other players. Such an exhibition is often referred to simply as a “simul.”

The main activities last week were the two simuls played by Cebuano GM Enrico “Econg” Sevillano against selected chess players, mostly Cepca members, at Colonnade comprising 25 players, while the other one was played at the Sacred Heart School-Ateneo de Cebu gym in Canduman against 40 students, teachers and parents.

I already wrote about the first simul in last week’s column. During the Ateneo simul, only one player managed to win, Atty. Gino Tequillo, while his son, Mico and two others earned draws.

Next time you play a simul against a grandmaster take note of the following tips: 1.

Be sure to take special care in the opening. Play something you know well and play carefully. 2. Play aggressively. Ninety-five percent of all victims in simultaneous displays usually owe their defeat to their own passivity.3. Don’t be afraid to exchange pieces.

There are three kinds of simul--regular like the two above, with a chess clock and one played while blindfolded.

The best result in a clock simul solely against grandmasters is World Champion Garry Kasparov’s performance against a West German team consisting of Vlastimil Hort, Eric Lobron, Matthias Wahls, and Gerald Hertneck at Baden-Baden in 1992. The score was 3-1.

On Feb. 8–9, 2011, Iranian grandmaster Ehsan Ghaem-Maghami achieved the Guinness world record for most simultaneous chess games. He played for 25 hours against 604 players, winning 580 (97.35 percent) of the games, drawing 16, and losing 8.

The most number of players taking part in a multi-simul was organized in El Zócalo, Mexico City on Oct. 21, 2006. About 600 masters played against 20 to 25 opponents each. The total number of players was 13,446. The Guinness Book of Records acknowledged the event as the largest one held in a single day.

The absolute worst result in a simultaneous exhibition was two wins and 18 losses by Joe Hayden, aged 17, 1977. Twenty showed up to play and Hayden lost 18 of the games (including one to a seven-year-old). His two wins were scored against his mother and a player who got tired of waiting and left in mid-game, thus forfeiting the game..

The legendary Miguel Najdorf played 45 opponents in a blindfold simul in São Paulo in 1947, with the result of 39 wins, four draws and two losses. A new world record was set by the German Marc Lang in November 2011 in Sontheim, Germany by playing 46 opponents simultaneously and blindfolded. He had 25 wins, 19 draws and just two losses.

Simultaneous blindfold exhibitions were officially banned in 1930 in the USSR as they were deemed to be a health hazard. Mikhail Botvinnik also warned against it.

Sinulog. Contributor KC Morala wrote, “Rogelio Enriquez, Jr. outdid 71 other participants to win the title in the Sinulog Open Chess Tournament held at the Colonnade Mall last Jan. 12-13.

Enriquez, who is the coach of the University of San Jose-Recoletos team, won his last round to secure at 6.5 points. Yves Christian Fiel was tied for second with Richard Natividad, half a point behind.

Meanwhile, I got the top lady title. Half a point behind were Shaira Monsalud, Airene Robillos and Vic Glysen Derotas, who shared the second to fourth places.

The Balbona brothers, James Andrew and John Francis, shared the title in the kiddes section . Adrian Basilgo and Edel Vosotros tied for third and fourth places.

The tournaments were participated by a total of 110 chess enthusiasts and was officiated by FA Marvin Ruelan, NA Nestor Costan and NM Roger Abella.”

(boypestano@gmail.com,www.chessmoso.blogspot.com)