VETERAN National Master Levi Mercado of Cagayan de Oro became the inaugural champion of the Rising Chess Unlimited Development Program Individual Open held recently in Butuan City.
The 50-something Mercado scored 6.5 points in the seven-round rapid competition to bring home the P10,000 top purse.
Gingoog City bet Allan Cantonjos edged fellow six-pointer Jun Mark Baldesimo in the Bucholz tiebreaker to capture the P7,000 runner-up prize as the latter seized the second runner-up prize of P5,000.
Fame Fazon and Harold Buo both scored 5.5 points to occupy fourth and fifth places after the tiebreaker worth P3,000 and P1,500, respectively.
The top-seeded Fide Master Ellan Asuela led a big group of five-pointers to share sixth up to 13th spots among 45 entries from all over Northern Mindanao.
Organizer Rhenz Rheann Auza told Gold Star Daily that the Butuan tourney jumpstarted a series of promotional events around the country under the banner of Rising Chess Unlimited which will culminate in the highly ambitious 7-in-1 Chess Festival the beautiful City of Ozamiz will be hosting on November 10-12 in time of its 84th founding anniversary.
Meanwhile, the Butuan leg’s 16-under rivalry saw Jacqpztch Immanuel Abalo of Cabadbaran and Karl Augusto Xander of Gingoog City end up tied at six points.
But after the tiebreaker, Abalo bagged the junior championship purse of P3,000 as Sayson received the P1,500 second prize.
Third-placer James Catayas who tied with Cemberain Muanag at 5.5 points went to pocket P1,000 as the latter got P700 with fifth-finisher Kent Jerry Muanag receiving P500.
Completing the junior’s top-10 winners are Cherie Gail Hewe, Chloe Gaia Hewe, Prince Arne Mila, Jake Andre Aballar, and Sebastian Marbas.
