PANABO City-based woodpushers ruled the Mayor APSU Cup chess tournament held, over the weekend, at the Mantangale Alibuag Dive Resort in Balingoan town, Misamis Oriental.
The country’s youngest Arena Grandmaster Christian Gian Karlo Arca at 11 years old stamped his class in the kiddies 14-under class. While his compatriot Carl Zirex Sato, also from Panabo City, Davao del Norte, bested tough rivals in the Invitational Rapid Individual Open hostilities.
“Wala nasayang ilang kahago kay layo-layo gyod ilang biyahe. Indeed, they came, saw and conquered,” said National Arbiter Alberto Vera Cruz, who organized the two-day chessfest being supported by the local government of Balingoan and the Balingoan Chess Club.
Arca yielded just a draw to score 5.5 points in six rounds en route to pocketing the P3,000 top purse in the kiddies rivalry, while Sato edged out fellow six-pointer Romeo Canino of Cagayan de Oro in the Bucholz tiebreaker to bring home the P4,000 top prize in the premier individual open.
Trailing Arca in second and third places were Kyla Dalagan (five pts) of Tagoloan, Misamis Oriental, and Keith Adriane Ilar of El Salvador City (4.5 pts) who received P3,000 and P2,000 each.
Sato’s closest pursuer Canino got P3,000 as third-running Arian Belly Calido, also from Cagayan de Oro, took P2,000 after his better tiebreak results over fellow 5.5-pointer Aljie Cantonjos of Gingoog City.
Making the 14-under’s top-10 list are Ruelle ‘Tawing’ Canino, Quarl Maverick Vera Cruz, Sara Dalagan, LJ Getubig, Cassey Miguel Tabamo, and Lyn Getubig.
Rounding up the individual open’s top-10 circle are Emmanuel Acierto, Jan Francis Mirano, Clement Valledor, Primitivo Virtudazo, Fr. Vic Arellano, and Jasper Gonzales.
Rising blitz sensation Aljie Cantonjos had to thank, however, his uncle Abner Cantonjos and kiddy teammate Keith Adriane Ilar after the smoke of battle cleared.
Altogether, the three of them ― representing the Gingoog team ― went on to lord it over in the Rapid “Tatluhan” team competition to go home P20,000-richer.
“S’werti pud ang bata (Ilar) nga ilang nauban sa team,” said chief arbiter Lorenzo ‘Jun’ Cuizon, who backed up Vera Cruz in running the show alongside tournament director Dhomrey Querequere and NA Joel Llave Maureal.
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