A Kagay-anon chess player finished in the top 10 out of 245 participants in what has been billed as the country’s strongest national open chess tournament of 2025.
Lennon Hart Salgados, an Air Force serviceman from Barangay Bonbon, Cagayan de Oro City, upset International Master Rolando Nolte in the ninth and final round to secure a top-10 finish in the P105,000-rich WFM Sheerie Joy Lomibao Rapid Open Chess Tournament held Sunday, May 18, at the Pavilion Greenfield District in Mandaluyong City.
Salgados’ final-round victory lifted him into a tie among the seven-point scorers, placing eighth after the Buchholz tiebreak system was applied.
International Master Jan Emmanuel Garcia emerged as the solo champion with 8.5 points, going undefeated with eight wins and one draw.
Grandmaster Rogelio Antonio Jr., 63, edged young IM Michael Concio Jr. on tiebreaks to claim second place. Both scored eight points.
Rounding out the top 10 behind Garcia, Antonio, and Concio were FIDE Master Christian Mark Daluz and Chester Neil Reyes (7.5 points), followed by FM David Elorta, GM Daniel Quizon, Salgados, Kevin Arquero, and National Master Bob Jones Liwagon (seven points each).
“To God be the glory. Turned back the time. Second place out of 245 players with seven wins and two draws,” Antonio said proudly.
Others who also tallied seven points but had inferior tiebreaks included Jan Clifford Labog, Sherwin Tiu, IM Paulo Bersamina, Marcus Fratkin, Alexis Emil Maribao, NM John Cyrus Borce, and NM Jose Aquino Jr.
