Filipino Belsar Valencia kept its winning streak by dominating the 2019 Edmonton Chess Championship

Filipino Belsar Valencia kept its winning streak by dominating the 2019 Edmonton Chess Championship

Filipino Belsar Valencia kept its winning streak by dominating the 2019 Edmonton Chess Championship

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ALWAYS relying on his vast experience, Filipino Belsar Valencia kept its winning streak, this time dominating the just concluded 2019 Edmonton Chess Championship last March 3 in Edmonton City, Alberta, Canada.

Valencia, who hails from La Union defeated Canadian Jeff Reeve, 1.5.0.5, in the finals, to enroute the Edmonton Chess Championship title for the third time. He earned the trophy with an undefeated record.

Valencia won his first game match against Reeve after 77 moves of King's Indian defense fianchetto variation then halved the point in the second match after 41 moves of Sicilian defense, Najdorf- Adams Attack variation.

On the roads to the finals, the Edmonton, Canada based Valencia needed to beat Yash Darvekar, 2-0, in the Round-of-16, Aaron Sequillion, 1.5-0.5, in the quarter-finals and Peter Kalisvaart, 1.5-0.5, in the semifinals to arranged a titular showdown with Reeve.

Another Filipino Canada based Zulfikar Sali from Zamboanga City made the country proud anew. He already obtained his Canadian National Master title last year. He finished tied for 3rd (4.5/6 points) along with International Master (IM) Raymond Kaufman and Davaa-Ochir Nyamdorj in the 2019 British Columbia Open Chess Championship held last February 16 to 18 at the Executive Plaza Airport Hotel in Richmond, Canada.

Fide Masters (FMs) Grigory Morozov and Tanraj Sohal took the 1-2 position with 5 points apiece.-Marlon Bernardino-

Game 1 result:

Belsar Valencia (2346) 1-0 Jeff Reeve (2258)
King's Indian, Fianchetto
[Event "Edmonton Championship"]
[Site "Edmonton, CAN"]
[Date "2019.02.21"]
[Round "4.1"]
[White "Valencia, Belsar"]
[Black "Reeve, Jeff"]
[Result "1-0"]
1. Nf3 Nf6 2. d4 g6 3. c4 Bg7 4. g3 O-O 5. Bg2 d6 6. O-O Nbd7 7. Nc3 e5 8. e4
c6 9. h3 Qa5 10. Re1 Re8 11. d5 cxd5 12. cxd5 b5 13. a3 b4 14. Na4 Qb5 15. Bf1
Qb8 16. axb4 Qxb4 17. Bd2 Qb8 18. Ra3 Nb6 19. Nc3 Bd7 20. Kh2 Bf8 21. Qb3 Be7
22. Be3 Bd8 23. Rea1 Nc8 24. Nd2 Bb6 25. Bxb6 Nxb6 26. Nb5 Nc8 27. Ra6 Rd8 28.
R1a5 Ne8 29. Qe3 Nc7 30. Nxc7 Qxc7 31. Ra3 Rb8 32. Rc3 Qb7 33. b3 Bb5 34. Bxb5
Qxb5 35. Rac6 Ne7 36. Rc7 Rb7 37. Qg5 Rd7 38. R7c4 Kg7 39. Qe3 Qb6 40. Qxb6
axb6 41. Rc6 b5 42. Rc2 Ra7 43. Rb6 Rab7 44. Rxb7 Rxb7 45. Kg2 Kf8 46. f3 Ke8
47. Kf2 Kd7 48. Ra2 Kc7 49. Ra6 Rb6 50. Ra7+ Rb7 51. Ra6 Rb6 52. Ra5 Nc8 53.
Nb1 Kb7 54. Nc3 Na7 55. b4 Ra6 56. Rxa6 Kxa6 57. f4 f6 58. fxe5 fxe5 59. Kf3
Nc8 60. Kg4 Nb6 61. Kg5 Na4 62. Nd1 Kb6 63. Kh6 Nc5 64. Nf2 Na6 65. Nd3 Nc5 66.
bxc5+ dxc5 67. d6 c4 68. Nb4 c3 69. Nd5+ Kc6 70. Nxc3 b4 71. Na4 Kxd6 72. Kxh7
Kc6 73. Kxg6 Kb5 74. Nb2 b3 75. h4 Kb4 76. h5 Kc3 77. h6 1-0

Final, game 2 result:
Jeff Reeve (2258) 1/2-1/2 Belsar Valencia (2346)
Sicilian, Najdorf, Adams Attack
[Event "Edmonton Championship"]
[Site "Edmonton,CAN"]
[Date "2019.02.28"]
[Round "4.2"]
[White "Reeve, Jeff"]
[Black "Valencia, Belsar"]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 a6 6. h3 e6 7. g4 h6 8. Bg2
Nc6 9. O-O Bd7 10. Be3 Be7 11. f4 Nh7 12. Qd2 O-O 13. Rad1 Rc8 14. Nce2 Nxd4
15. Nxd4 Qc7 16. c3 e5 17. Nf5 Bxf5 18. exf5 b5 19. Kh1 Nf6 20. fxe5 dxe5 21.
Bxh6 Rfd8 22. Qg5 Ne8 23. Qc1 Rxd1 24. Rxd1 gxh6 25. Qxh6 Rd8 26. Rd5 Rxd5 27.
Bxd5 Qd6 28. Qg6+ Qxg6 29. fxg6 Nd6 30. Kg2 Bh4 31. Kf3 Kg7 32. gxf7 Bg5 33. b3
Bd2 34. c4 bxc4 35. bxc4 Bb4 36. h4 e4+ 37. Ke3 Bc5+ 38. Ke2 e3 39. h5 Nxf7 40.
Bxf7 Kxf7 41. g5 Kg7 1/2-1/2