Terubea defended title

Terubea reigns
Arin Kumar
Monday, August 20, 2012

RONALD Terubea successfully defended his National Under-20 Chess Championship title in Suva yesterday.

The 19-year-old maritime student was unbeaten in the tournament and only lost points via a draw with Hilda Vukikomoala.

In the end, Terubea and Vukikomoala ended the championship with four and a half points and the winner had to be decided by tie-breaks.

Fiji Chess Federation president Dr Virgilio de Asa said the two were still locked after two tie-breaks resulting in them playing a third tie-break.

“The third tie-break was a 15 minute rapid game where each player is given only 15 minutes to make his or her moves,” Dr de Asa said.

“He (Terubea) is more suited to the rapid game as he is a fast mover so that is where he gained an upper hand over Hilda and won the game to retain the title,” he said.

The under-16 and 14 grades of the FMF-sponsored tournament was won by siblings Ana Mataika and Samuela Mataika.

The under-12 grade was won by Hilda’s younger brother, Semisi Vukikomoala.

Meanwhile, Dr de Asa revealed that former national champion Candidate Master (CM) Manoj Kumar has pulled out of the national team that will compete in the Chess Olympiad in Istanbul, Turkey from August 27 to September 10.

Last night, Kumar beat Dr Neel Arora to successfully defend the National Mid-year Open Championship that was played alongside the under-20 championship.

“He (Kumar) has given us a genuine reason that he is a schoolteacher and cannot miss out on his teaching duties and he is also pursuing further studies and being away on a tournament will take too much time.”

Kumar’s decision to pull out has opened the door for FCF assistant general secretary Goru Arvind to compete in the world meet.

Source: http://www.fijitimes.com