Friday, December 15, 2006 Ababat KOed by bluff By Jaime A. Frias II Sun.Star Correspodent
AFTER a tough five-hour marathon match, Joel Pacuribot only needed a ‘bluff’ to advance to the final four of the 2006 Rose Pharmacy Knock Out Chess Championships yesterday at the Elizabeth Mall.
Pacuribot is joined in the semis by Joel Fernan of Lapu-Lapu City, Kim Steven Yap of the University of San Carlos and Glenn Pardillo of Bohol.
Yesterday, Pacuribot knocked out 47-year-old Erwin Ababat in five hours and 30 minutes of match play in the quarterfinals.
Both of them leveled the match at one game each in the Best of Two 40-minute regulation plus increment and the Best of Two rapid playoffs to forge the one-game sudden death.
Draw
In the sudden, death the one handling the white pieces will have six minutes to play but must win to advance, while the one handling black will only have five minutes but only needs a draw to advance.
Luck was on Pacuribot’s side as Ababat bit his bluff on the knight, with still three minutes to play. A discovered check off the knight on the next move forced Ababat to resign.
"I saw the bluff and he bit, “ said Pacuribot.>
Exit
It was a sad exit for Ababat, who conquered Fide Master and top seed Anthony Makinano in two games in the rapid playoffs in the round of 16.
Meanwhile, in the other quarterfinal matches, Fernan blanked Eden Diano in the regulation matches; Yap stunned the equally strong Richard Natividad; and Pardillo bested Johnnel Balquin of the Misamis Oriental Capitol.
At press time last night, Fernan was to face Pardillo, while Yap was to duel Pacuribot. The winners will advance to the finals, where the winner will earn P12,000. The losing semifinalists will earn P4,000.
Meanwhile, tournament manager Marvin Ruelan announced that the finals might be moved to the Bibo Chess Club as they are not sure whether Elizabeth Mall will grant them an extension. The event was supposed to end yesterday.
