CAGAYAN de Oro’s loss is General Santos City’s gain.
Former Cagayan de Oro ace Johnnel Balquin returned to his old stomping grounds on Saturday night, leading the General Santos-based Pacman team to a decisive victory in the local chess team competition.
Hosted at the City Tourism Hall, the 2nd Mayor Rolando ‘Klarex’ Uy and Carmen Barangay Chairman Rainier Joaquin Uy Christmas Chess Tournament attracted a massive turnout of woodpushers from across Mindanao.
Balquin’s squad — bolstered by National Master Adriane Keith Ilar and Dillon Intila — proved untouchable in the three-board challenge. The team swept all matches across six rounds to secure the championship trophy and the P30,000 top prize.
Pairing master Arian Belly Calido noted that the team composition was strategic.
“They’re all Class A players with lower ratings, so they fit the 2000 rating average for this team event,” Calido explained, adding that “they’re a powerhouse, hard to shake in the three-board competition.”
While the veterans dominated, the youth made their mark as well. The Golden Chess Friends team clinched second place and P20,000, largely relying on the unbeaten streak of nine-year-old prodigy Kyros Andrei Magsalay.
Rounding out the top five were Mamawag Knights, Danrene Agri Trading, and RD Chess Academy-1, who took home P10,000, P8,000, and P7,000, respectively.
The tournament rewarded the top 10 finishers, with JC Warriors, Chessavory Team B, Night Owl, Team Pa Chamba, and Team Kap ‘Kapkik’ claiming prizes ranging from P6,000 down to P2,000.
