Oro-PAF chessers make top 7, snare brd 2 gold

A HEART-breaking loss in the final round landed the Cagayan de Oro–Philippine Airforce Team to eight-place in the 1st Mayor Alfredo Abelardo Albee Benitez Masskara Festival National Inter Provinces, Cities, and Municipalities Chess Team Championship concluded at the Forest Park Resort in Barangay Taculing, Bacolod City, Negros Occidental, over the weekend.

Eventual champion Dasmariñas City A, led by International Master Daniel Quizon, almost blanked the Oro chessers in the seventh and final round with only Lennon Hart Salgados escaping with a draw in his board-two match-up with Fide Master Roel Abelgas.

“Sayang, had we won we could have a better chance in the top-four semifinal round,” said Allan Cantonjos, who played board 3 for Mayor Rolando ‘Klarex’ Uy-backed Team alongside IM Richelieu Salcedo III on board one, Salgados on board 2 and Christian Arroyo on board 4.

City sports coordinator Romarey Gorro told Gold Star Daily that Team Cagayan de Oro-PAF received P12,000 for their top seven finish among 24 competing teams around the country.

To their consolation, Gorro said Salgados’ solid 5.5-performance earned him the gold medal award on board 2 worth P4,000.

Dasmariñas City A crushed the elimination round more topnotch General Santos City-MPCL in their two-game championship match, 6.5-1.5 to run away with the lion’s share of P150,000.

GenSan-MPCL, powered by IM Joel Pimentel, got the runner-up prize of P100,000. While Muntinlupa City A-Bigboys of FM Nelson Mariano III got P50,000 also with a trophy after defeating Bacolod Team B of Grandmaster Darwin Laylo and David Elorta, 7-5 in the battle for third place.

Also in the top 10 are the Silay City-Pawn Storm Chess, Calapan City, Bacolod City A, Calamba City, and San Carlos City-Negros Chess Club.