Rubens Cup Championship -2017

Ruben's Cup Chess Tournament Championship 2017

NAURU CHESS 

The Tournament: 

The Rubens Cup Chess Championship 2017 marks the fourth year of this annual event. 
Each year the Ruben’s Cup Chess Championship is proudly sponsored by the Ruben Kun Family   and facilitated by NCF.

A Tribute:
The annual championship was initially sponsored by the late Ruben Kun in 2014 and is now carried on by this family as an event held in his honor and memory, He is known and dubbed as a founding father of the Nauru Chess Federation.

Ruben Kun was an avid and high-level Chess player who proved his love for the game in his contributions to its growth. His place was open to all, with chessboards and refreshments for the enthusiast, the challengers, and the cocky upstarts who gathered each Sunday in his humble garden at his home in Buada. The Sicilian Defence is one of his favourite and strongest defence, humbling even the most vicious attacks.

Ruben's passion for the game had motivated him, and a few to develop a working committee to organise consistent national tournaments at every Nauru’s national day celebration each year.

The current operating chess committee to this date has carried 
on his torch which is known today as the Nauru Chess Federation (NCF) and we give tribute by participating in the event.

The Event:

On the 1st of April 2017 Saturday, Sixteen (16) of the most powerful Chess players on the island gathered together to honor Ruben’s memory by participating in the all-out battles of strategic carnage on the chess board and take away the spoils of war for the Ruben’s Cup title.

It is a hard core down right serious for the opportunity to have their name engraved as “champion” on the perpetual Ruben’s Shield.

Of course, let’s not forget the spoils of war in cash (1st prize of $500, Consolation prize in a sealed envelope)

The Venue:

The tournament was held at the Bay Restaurant Anibare, where a section was allocated 10 tables, (Compliments of Capelle and Partners in support to the Federation) and facilitated by the current Nauru Chess Federation Administration.

The Bay Restaurant was suggested as a the Tournament venue to NCF to host the tournament by Mr Crispen Mariano, one of the old greats of Nauru Chess in the early 2000. NCF recommended that he scope its possibility of Management for the venue after which, a meeting ensued with Kenneth Oppenheimer and NCF President in a very positive dialogue, the venue without fees was granted as a sponsored support, and even future tournaments would also be considered.

The Opening - Australian DAP Chess Project:

The Rubens Cup 2017 was also an opportune occasion for the DAP 2016 award presentation.

Deputy High Commissioner Dan Helding presents to NCF President the Australia DAP for Chess

His Excellency the Deputy High Commissioner of Australia Dan Heldon opened the event by his presentation of the congratulatory DAP certificate to Nauru Chess President Mr Ricko Depaune, acknowledging the grant of $2.5K to support NCF developments.

The Deputy High Commissioner Dan Heldon gave a speech of congratulations to the NCF President for his successful grant, and that the High Com office is looking forward to seeing the support grant catalytic effects in the evolution of NCF, specifically towards the developments for the wider range of categories in chess tournaments for women, kids, and even in schools extra-curricular.

The DAP funding for NCF proposes to provide the equipment and promotions to increase participation, initiate community chess clubs, involve women and children categories and to increase grassroot support for its developments. (link: How Chess meets Society requirements for development)

The General Secretary for NCF announced that the DAP support fund will secure 50 chess sets, and 25 chess clocks, the items are in transhipment to be received within the month.  The DAP support has also secured two promotional banners which are already in use, and seen displayed during the presentation and the Tournament.

The Draw:

The competition draw remained as the standard double knockout elimination, where successful players progress onwards towards the finals. The only difference on the day was the chess clock. It was history in the making of the first Nauru Chess Official Tournament to have a chess clock ticking away in every match/round from move one.

All players were instructed to be aware of the standard rules

Open entry - All gender/age categories permitted.  

A player will be eliminated by double knockout,

Rules of Play - Standard Chess rules will apply.

• Tournament games will be clocked at 20min per player.
• No increments, a player wins when the opponent runs out of time, resigns or is checkmated.
• The chess-clock must be handled by the same hand that moved the chess piece. Failure to this rule will render the player loss of the game by disqualification.
• A game will be drawn when either player is unable to checkmate his opponent, stalemate by three perpetual moves, unable to move a piece legally, or both agree to a draw.
• A player must address the Arbiter (referee) for any in-game complaints. The ruling by the arbiter is final.

Round 1: Exhibition match

The Ruben’s Cup Tournament started with the first game by The Australian Deputy High Commissioner Dan Heldon playing off an exhibition blitz game with the 2017 Independence Day National Champion David Dabuae.  Australia held his own through to the middle game, but quickly realized that Nauru was too strong, even with a 5-min time handicap on the clock for Nauru.

Round 2:

Miss Belle Heldon the youngest and only female chess player at the event played a match against the Deputy High Commissioner and reminded him the importance of chess to a growing mind. Chief Arbiter Mr Ricko Depaune kept a close watch for any illegal moves that the High Com may commit.

The Final Results:

Rubens Cup Champion was Yarsir Mohammad defeating David Dabuae in the finals. The Rubens Cup Chess Championship award was presented by Ruben's eldest daughter Mrs Floria Detebene.

(watch this space for more details on elimination matches results)

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