CROSSING paths with long-lost relatives and staying at the residence of the chess-playing Canino family in Cagayan de Oro offered more luck for the Ilonggo woodpushers from Bacolod City.
After winning the individual title of the ASJ-backed tourney some weeks ago at the Limketkai Mall in Cagayan de Oro, Ellan Asuela was at it again and so his equally-talented chess buddies Fide Master Nelson Villanueva, Aljie Cantonjos, and Jan Francis Mirano.
They traveled altogether to the Zamboanga Peninsula to conquer the Araw ng Pagadian "Mayor Sammy Co Open Chess Championship" held on June 18-19 at the 2nd Floor Rotunda bldg of Pagadian City.
The battle-scarred Asuela and his fellow Bacolodnon Villanueva made a 1-2 finish in the cash-rich nine-round event highlighting the 53rd Araw ng Pagadian as Cantonjos of Gingoog City and Mirano of Aklan also made it in the top-10 money circle.
Asuela won his first seven matches, including victories over Roumundo Jaime Alexis Edades Jr, Candidate Master Cliburn Anthony Orbe, Mirano, and Villanueva, then safely played for draws in the last two rounds against Cagayan de Oro's Johnnel Balquin and local boy Levi Martuna for the crowning glory.
Asuela's total output of 8 points earned for him the championship trophy and the P20,000 top purse. While Villanueva's aggregate of 7.5 points gave him the solo second-place worth P10,000.
"S'werte kami sa among napuy-an sa Cagayan de Oro naka group study pa kami for a week. Salamat gid dako kay mam Gina and sir Tatskie Canino. Ganahan na kami ini magpuyo sa'ng Cagayan de Oro," Asuela told Gold Star Daily.
Balquin led a big group of seven-pointers that included Rodney Opada, Martuna, Cantonjos, Jimmy Dano, and Allen Mirano.
Balquin, Opada, and Martuna received P4,000, P2,000, and P1,000 each.
The rest got a consolation prize of P1,000 alongside the top-15 finishers in JF Mirano, Orbe, Julius Dan Augustine Ablin, Abe Agar, Amer Tandong, Allan Cantonjos, and Michael Jackson Ambuang.
