ALREADY past their prime, the veteran pair of Cleto ‘Bong’ Vasquez and Mario ‘Bebot’ Arroyo both scored a stunner over halfway of the GCF V-Fide Rated Chess Championship last Saturday at the Ayala Centrio Mall, Cagayan de Oro City.
The 60-year-old Vasquez, who just won the Mindanao Leg of the 4th National Executive Chess Championship, pulled the rug from under former National Shell Active junior champion Bryan Jose for the early sensation on Black Saturday.
Then, followed suit the 65-year-old Arroyo who shocked one of the early title favorites Aljie Cantonjos, who is only 25 years old, to enliven the playing hall filled with around 200 young and old participants alike.
“B’wenas lang kay before sa among dula ni Bryan (Jose), pildehonon na kaayo ko ni Bebot (Arroyo) nagdali-dali lang siya nabahog noon iyang rook,” Vasquez told Gold Star Daily.
Fuming at his own carelessness, Arroyo vented his ire instead against the superbly confident Cantonjos whose “illegal move” claim could not save him anyway after being outplayed in a middlegame tactical melee.
“Dili pwede lakaw-lakawan ang tigulang kay tirador kana sa una,” some observers said of Cantonjos’ undoing at the expense of Arroyo, once the vanguard of Cagayan de Oro chess in national level competition.
Upon his opponent’s complaint of an illegal move, Arroyo thought his winning advantage will just go down the drain, though Fide Arbiter Margie Narcilla just gave him a warning while adding two minutes to Cantonjos' time clock as a penalty.
“Kining tiguwang na lage ‘ta, gikulbaan maong duha ka kamot akong nagamit pag promote sa pawn into Queen,” Arroyo explained.
Close to P30,000 in total cash prizes plus trophies and medals are at stake in the rapid tourney organized by the Golden Chess Friends and sponsored by the Prodigies Inc. Manpower Service Provider that attracted 80 children in the elementary level, 63 high schoolers and 40 participants for the combined college and Open category.
