ILONGGO player Ellan Asuela seemed untouchable in the City of Golden Friendship which he turned now into his own chess bailiwick.
Churning out win after win since he relocated to Cagayan de Oro in July 2022, the 34-year-old Asuela was simply unstoppable as he ruled in a convincing manner the 1st Lumbia Mindanao Open Individual Rapid Chess Tournament on Saturday, at the Barangay Gym of Lumbia, Cagayan de Oro City.
Playing under the glare of his apple of the eye Carla Fernandez, the Bacolod City native Asuela finished with eight points in nine rounds to bag the P20,000 top prize and the championship trophy.
Youthful Davao Norte pride, National Master Christian Gian Karlo Arca, and veteran Cagayan de Oro NM Levi Mercado were tied at 7.5 each, but the Bucholz tiebreaker propelled Arca to second place and Mercado the third spot.
Arca received P10,000, while Mercado got P7,000 also with trophies.
Army man Alfredo Rapanot led a bunch of seven-pointers including Fide Master Nelson Villanueva, Kevin Arquero, FM Austin Jacob Literatus, and Johnnel Balquin.
Completing the top 15 in a 129-field that attracted some of the country's finest pawnpushers are fellow 6.5-pointers Aljie Cantonjos, Rainauld Bonn Tibod, Christian James Aquino, Allan Cantonjos, Christian John Lesaca NM Elwin Retanal, and Anatolio Penados.
“Actually, na-pressure ko after 6th round. Daug na kaayo na draw pa,” said Asuela, referring to his London System match with Kevin Arquero where he managed to restrict White’s minor piece activity but narrowly missed the winning line.
However, Asuela can never be denied in his next two matches with FM Villanueva and Ronald Ganzon before playing to a safe draw with NM Arca in the 9th and final round.
Other category prize winners are NM Arca (Top 14 Boys), Aquino (Top Junior), Allan Cantonjos (Top Lumbia 1), Penados (Top Executive), Ariel Montero (Top Unrated), Adriane Keith Ilar (Top 12 Boys), Mardonio Fuentes (Top Senior), Sara Dalagan (Top Lady), Chloe Gaia Hewe (Top 12 Girl), Cheska Gayle Gewe (Top 14 Girl), Bernard Collera (Top Lumbia 2), Jay Perce Montesclaros (Top Lumbia 14B-1), James Rafael Lumancas (Top Lumbia 14B-2), Maria Teresa Lumancas (Top Lumbia 14G1), and Bea Comaingking (Top Lumbia 14G2).
The father-and-son tandem of Barangay Chairman Alex Torralba and Barangay Administrator Aerol Torralba came to grace the ceremonial rites on Saturday morning of the two-day hostilities which also has the Team Tatluhan category still ongoing as of this writing.
“It’s a one-of-a-kind tourney in terms of cash prizes which is the biggest so far among the sponsoring barangays in Mindanao (local governments). We thank much the chess-loving Torralbas for bringing here some of the top chess talents in the country,” said Lorenzo Cuizon, who was assisted by fellow Fide Licensed National Arbiters Joseph Palero and Joel Maureal and National Arbiter Aldwin Daculan in running the show.
