Rosendo Balinas Jr.

Rosendo Carreon Balinas Jr. (September 10, 1941 – September 24, 1998) was a chess grandmaster from the Philippines. FIDE awarded him the International Master title in 1975 and the International Grandmaster title in 1976. He was Philippines' second chess grandmaster. Balinas was a lawyer by profession, as well as an award winning chess writer and journalist. He also unsuccessfully ran for representative of Rizal's 1st district in the 1994 special election.

Chess career

Balinas was considered the strongest Asian player during the 1960s and 1970s, before the emergence of compatriot Eugenio Torre. Balinas won international chess tournaments in Hong Kong, Singapore, Manila, and Odessa, USSR during the period. At the 1966 17th Chess Olympiad in Havana, Cuba, Balinas scored 15½ points out of 20 games (.775) and was awarded the individual silver medal award, behind gold medalist, former world champion Mikhail Tal, who scored 11 points out of 13 games (.846). In the 1967 Meralco "Beat Bobby Fischer" match series in Manila, of the top 10 Filipino players, Balinas was the only then Philippine national master to hold the future world champion to a draw:

R. C. Balinas – R. J. Fischer, Manila 1967. Opening "Sicilian, Najdorf, Zagreb (Fianchetto) Variation"

Balinas was a seven-time Philippine chess champion, winning the Philippine National Championship and the Philippine Open Chess Championships. He defended his title and shared first place at the Meralco-sponsored 1968 Philippine Open championship with world championship candidate Yugoslav grandmaster Svetozar Gligorić.

In 1975, then-IM Balinas achieved a 5-5 score at the Manila Marlboro Classic International Chess Tournament, one-half point short of the grandmaster norm, tying with Gligorich for 6th-7th place. Balinas defeated world championship candidates Lev Polugaevsky of USSR and Bent Larsen of Denmark, as well as the Czech-American grandmaster Lubomir Kavalek.

Winner at Odessa and grandmaster in 1976 Balinas achieved his greatest victory at the 1976 Odessa International Tournament, winning with a 10–4 score. Balinas was undefeated against all Soviet opponents, and a point ahead of Lev Alburt, and former Soviet champion Vladimir Savon.

Bobby Ang, a Philippine chess columnist of Indo Chess and Philippine Business World, recounted in his Chess Piece column:

"Vladimir Savon, the Absolute Russian Chess champion pre-tournament favorite, had been upset in the second round by Tseitlin and it was Balinas who jumped into the lead scoring 5/6. Savon gave chase and three rounds before the end of the tournament the two leaders met. The Philippine Chess Champion Balinas' decisive win over the Soviet Champion was considered to be the turning point of the tournament.

Balinas, Rosendo Carreon, Philippines (2365) – Savon, Vladimir A USSR (2545) Odessa, USSR, 1976. Benoni, Classical Defense.

http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1331492

There were two short draws in the final rounds, vs Bronstein and Tringov. Balinas thereby became the first foreign player to win an international tournament in the Soviet Union since World Chess Champion José Raúl Capablanca's win in Moscow, 1936 and GM Reuben Fine's wins in Leningrad, 1937 and Moscow, 1937.

As a result of his victory in Odessa, FIDE awarded Balinas the International Chess Grandmaster title.

More games

Another of Bobby Ang's excellent article and analysis of Balinas' "invigorating upset win" over GM Luděk Pachman, a former Czechoslovak champion who emigrated and played for West Germany during the 1976 Haifa Olympiad.

Pachman, Luděk (2520) - Balinas, Rosendo Carreon (2365) [E14] Haifa Olympiad (Men) (5), 30.10.1976

Balinas' Caro-Kann-Steinitz opening novelty and vintage knight sacrifice win against another former Czech champion and World Championship Candidate GM Miroslav Filip, 1974 Nice, World Chess Olympiad.

Balinas' fighting win against the celebrated Candidate's Qualifier and former Czech champion GM Lubosh Kavalek, 1975 Marlboro Chess Classic:

Below the details of Balinas' win against another Soviet Champion and World Chess Championship candidate Lev Polugayevski:

Balinas, Rosendo ELO 2365 - Polugayevski, Lev ELO 2645, 1976 Marlboro Classic, Manila

Widely regarded as Balinas' most famous game was an intense win against famous Danish grandmaster and World Championship Candidate, Bent Larsen, who played his beloved Larsen's Opening (1.b3):

Death Balinas died on September 24, 1998 due to liver cancer.