THE 2024 season-ending Christmas Rapid Open Chess Tournament in Cagayan de Oro, concluded recently at Bulua City Mall, will be best remembered for the complete domination of the visitors.

After the 61-year-old National Master Roger Sarip from Midsayap, North Cotabato showed the way in the Individual Open, the Boholano chessers from Tagbilaran City made a mark in the three-board 'tatluhan' team competition.

As Sarip bagged the Rapid Open's P15,000 top purse and the championship trophy, the Boholanos troika of Norman Longjas, Philip John Caderao, and Genesis Apog went on to bring home the P35,000 top prize in team rivalry of the pre-Christmas chessfest bankrolled by Cagayan de Oro City Mayor Rolando 'Klarex' Uy and barangay Carmen chairman Rainier Joaquin 'Kikang' Uy.

Sarip defeated Philippine Air Force bet Lennon Hart Salgados in the final round for the individual open's crowning glory, while the Boholanos representing the Jen Airre team also took the tatluhan team title at the expense of Salgados' JC Warriors' squad in the seventh and final round.

UNSTOPPABLE DRIVE. Despite setbacks from his teammates on the lower boards, JC Warriors’ ace Lennon Hart Salgados (right) battles fiercely to secure a crucial victory, preventing Tagbilaran City's Norman Longjas from claiming the individual gold on Board One at the Oro Christmas Open Chess Festival. Photo by Lynde Salgados

"Kaduha ko ni-away sa championship round in the individual open and with my team sa tatluhan kaduha pud napeldi and nalagpot parehas sa fourth. But still, lingaw kaayo nga nakabalik ko'g dula sa Cagayan de Oro to find out nga dili mabasta-basta ang mga players sa Mindanao," the former Palarong Pambansa champion Salgados told Gold Star Daily.

Although Longjas yielded to Salgados on board one, his teammates Caderao and Apog overcame Bryan Jose and Roberto Pablito Salomon in the lower board tussles to power Bohol's Jen Airre team to the top with a total score of 19 points under the Sophia rules.

Engr. Calo-Team A (AGM Lyndon Lumancas, AIM Jemuel Cali, Kinmapil Virtudazo) and Elsa Knights (NM Keith Adriane Ilar, Cassey Miguel Tabamo, Jake Riddick Sabordo) were tied at 16 points and placed second and third after the tiebreaker to get P25,000 and P15,000 each.

Fourth-running JC Warriors and fifth-placer Maritima Chessclub (Alfredo Rapanot, Saipuding Ambol, Abdul Saif Macud), both with 15 points to show, earned P12,000 and P10,000 apiece.

Individual boards 1-3 medalists are Elsa Knights' youthful NM Keith Adriane Ilar, Danrene Agri-Trading's Jeff Russell Rivera, and Engr Calo-A's Kinmapil Virtudazo.