By James Joshua Frias II
Contributor
DESPITE his busy schedule with the Philippine Air Force, former Palarong Pambansa gold medalist Lennon Hart Salgados proved (as his name suggests) that he’s always the heart of a champion.
Seizing the chance of his temporary reassignment to the City of Gold, Salgados competed in the Golden Chess Friends (GCF) Christmas Chess Tournament 2024 held, over the weekend, at the Bulua City Mall.
Showcasing his class in rapid time control with eight minutes plus two seconds increment, Salgados played through undefeated in seven rounds, sparing just a draw with his former mentor Johnnel Balquin, to win the P10,000 top purse and the championship medal.
“Medyo nakabalik-balik ko’g practice sa online chess, unya maka panahon pud mi’g jogging sa uptown Lumbia camp which to explain my good condition,” the now 31-year-old Salgados told Gold Star Daily.
Salgados amassed 19 points in the day-long tourney, using the Sophia rules, to rule the pre-Christmas event, which also signaled the comeback trail of GCF as one of Northern Mindanao’s top chess organizers.
Misamis Occidental’s top gun Rodney Opada, Iligan City’s Arena Grandmaster Julius Dan Augustine Ablin, and fresh-from-Dubai Jemuel Calo garnered similar 18 points to place second, third and fourth after the Bucholz tiebreaker. They received P5,000, P3,000, and P1,000 apiece also with medals.
Tied at 17 points, Oro compatriots Balquin and Ubanan occupied fifth and sixth spots each with P800 and P600 prizes.
Ozamiz City’s Johnny Wellen Carzano earned 16 points for solo seventh place to go along with P500 cash.
Gingoog City’s Alji Cantonjos, Balingasag bet Joseph Parmisano, and Cagayan de Oro's Romeo Canino edged fellow 15-pointers Mario Cagulada, Mario Arroyo, Randolph Christopher Dalauta, Abner Cantonjos, Paciano Gulle, Jashfer Gonzales and Cosain Magarang in the tiebreak to make it to the top-10 list with P400 take-home each.
