NATIONAL Master Roger Sarip, a Muslim brother from Midsayap, North Cotabato, has been a frequent visitor in the Cagayan de Oro chess scene since time immemorial with the majority of his local contemporaries no longer around such as the late NM Roger Verganio, Jaime Corro, and Rolando Alas, among the others.
Now 61-year-old, the still intrepid chess warrior of Maranao tribes came back recently to the City of Gold to show that he still has enough creative juice left on his ageless brain to conquer.
One of the country’s highly tactical players, Sarip outwitted a tough field that included fresh-from-Dubai International Master Rustum Tolentino and the rest of the so-called who’s who in Mindanao chess to rule the Cagayan de Oro Christmas Open Rapid Chess Tournament 2024, over the weekend, at Bulua City Mall.
Handling black in the seventh and final round, the senior citizen Sarip surprised his 31-year-old co-leader Lennon Hart Salgados from the Philippine Air Force with the rarely-used Budapest Gambit to prevail.
Sarip then edged fellow 6.5-pointer Basilio Pandan Jr of Butuan City, winner over Norman Longjas of Tagbilaran City, in the Bucholz tiebreaker en route to pocketing the P15,000 top purse and the championship trophy.
“Edaran na pero lisod dakpon ang strategy ni master Sarip kay tactical naay pagka-scientist,” commented veteran campaigner Nazario Ubanan of Sarip’s playing style.
“Isa gyod si Master Sarip sa pinaka example nga bisan tigulang na sa chess pwede pa mo-champion basta in good health lang permi,” added fellow local participant Joseph Maestrado.
Second-running Pandan received P10,000, while solo third-placer Cosain Magarang of Marawi City got P7,000 also with trophies.
Relegated to fourth is Cagayan de Oro’s top bet Salgados with better tiebreak results over fellow 5.5-pointers Randolph Christopher Dalauta, Mardonio Fuentes, and Jeff Russell Rivera who were given each P5,000, P4,000, P3,000 and P2,000, respectively.
