GINGOOG City pride Allan Cantonjos ruled Mayor Samuel “Sammy” S. Co Pasalamat Festival 2022 Individual Rapid Chess Championship on Thursday at the C3 Mall Food Court in Pagadian City.
Cantonjos, a newly-retired air force soldier, defeated Iligan City bet Julius Dan Augustine Ablin in the seventh and final round to match the 6.5-point output of National Master Dale Bernardo who prevailed over home-ground rival Jones Maghuyop.
Cantonjos, however, edged Bernardo in the Bucholz tiebreaker to bag the championship trophy and the P15,000 top purse.
“I think I'm just lucky kay wala nadayon sa Pagadian ang mga Manila boys ug ang mga top players from Cagayan de Oro,” said Cantonjos, among the country's few titled players who ― in distant past ― drew controversy when they waived their National Master (NM) titles under the National Chess Federation of the Philippines (NCFP).
Bernardo, who traveled all the way from Angeles City, Pampanga, secured the runner-up prize worth P10,000.
Reynaldo Aba-a of Davao City outplayed local boy Roumundo Jaime Alexis Edades Jr. in the last round to place third with six points and bring home P6,000 cash.
Rounding up the moneyed top-10 circle with 5 points each were Maghuyop, Nepthali Tejada, Ablin, Perfecto Laput, National Master Levi Martuna, Rocham Lauranilla, and Alejo Bation.
Seven-year-old Leslybeth Palangan from Buug, Sibugay, Zamboanga province won the top kiddy award.
The two-day over-the-board chessfest sponsored by the City Government of Pagadian through Mayor Samuel “Sammy” S. Co was jointly organized by the PagZamSur Professional Chess Players Association and the Brotherhood of Knights of the Squaretable, Inc.
“Pagadian is a sports-loving city and Mayor Sammy Co intends to support more sports competitions in the near future,” said tournament director Jezreel Lopez who was assisted by Glenn Aleria in running the show.
