NATIONAL Master Joey Albert Florendo and fellow Mindanao chesser Johnny Carzano stamped class in the Visayas leg of the Rising Chess Unlimited Individual Open Tournament held, over the weekend, at Robinson’s Galleria in Cebu City.
The youthful Florendo from Zamboanga City played through undefeated with seven wins and two draws to match the effort of Lapu-Lapu City pride Allan Pason at eight points each.
But inferior tiebreak results had Florendo relegated to second place in the two-day (October 14-15) and nine-round Individual Rapid Cebu Rising Chess field of 142 competitors.
The 25-year-old Pason bagged the P5,000 top purse, while Florendo received the runner-up prize of P3,000.
The Ozamiz City bet Carzano scored a credible seven points to make it to the top 10 behind Pason, Florendo, second runner-up NM Cyril Ortega, third runner-up Remegio Galenzoga III, and fourth runner-up Anthony Makinano with 7.5 points each.
Carzano is tied with International Master Kim Stev Yap, who occupied the sixth place, along with the other seven-pointers in Michael Renz Canonoy, Khalid Ontawar, and Ceferino Vizco.
“Taking the seventh place is already a big deal for me kay lima ka master players ang nag-apil. Although sa Ozamiz nagdako sa Cebu ko na varsity player in college maong naningkamot gyod ko nga mopatak,” a proud Carzano told Gold Star Daily.
In the ensuing three-board team competition set for seven rounds, the Bulacao Chess Club composed of Dennis Navales, Cephas Seguisabal, and Isagani Luna Jr amassed 12 match points to run away with the P30,000 top prize.
The Dark Knights made up of Rogelio Enriquez Jr, Rosendo Yamyamin and Patrick Chua finished with 11 match points to bag the runner-up prize of P20,000.
The AJJR Starbox, comprised of Pason, Raymond Abellana, and Jose Faunus Fernandez, went on to claim the P10,000 third prize.
The Starbox’s fellow 10-pointers Escarilas (Bonn Rainauld Tibod, Christopher Tubalado, Rowyn Ontal), RCM Ri Masters (Ronald Ganzon, Robert John Padel, Antonio Luis Duran) and Pawnstars (Jave Mareck Peteros, Jude Marluc Aranaydo, Michael Torion) were awarded P7,000, P5,000, and P3,000 apiece after the tiebreaker.
Arena Grandmaster Rey Urbiztondo said the nationwide Rising Chess Unlimited will go to Southern Mindanao this coming weekend with venues at Robinson Place in General Santos City on October 21 and Eagle Garden in Tacurong City on October 22.
It will proceed in the following weeks to Pagadian, Dumaguete, Zamboanga, Ortigas for NCR; Talisay and Cagayan de Oro for its penultimate leg serving as dry run, before culminating with the grand Ozamiz Chess Festival with seven events in one tourney and total cash prizes of P800,000 plus trophies and medals awaiting the winners on November 10-12.
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