HUMBLE yet sharp-playing Engr. Alexa Joy Ejem emerged as the Queen of the Provincial Capitol chess.

The former Regional Meet player Ejem from the Provincial Engineering Office played through undefeated in seven rounds, churning out a perfect seven of seven performance to top the women’s division in the Paglaum Sports Civil Service Anniversary Chess Tournament 2024 concluded recently at the Capitol Chess Park, Cagayan de Oro City.

“She really deserves the victory kay buotan very humble pero sa chess mapilde pa gani niya ang mga lalake. She’s way ahead in the women’s field,” arbiter Lorenzo Cuizon, who used to coach Ejem during her Palaro and Milo Little Olympics days, told Gold Star Daily.

CHESS IS HARD. But to acting Chief of Staff Ritchel Pajara of the Provincial Governor’s Office of Misamis Oriental, playing chess in the recent Civil Service Anniversary Sportsfest is the best way to unwind from the daily grind of tedious paper works at the Capitol. Photo by Lynde Salgados

Engr. Ejem, who hails from Villanueva town, is out to receive the P3,000 top purse. Fellow PEO bet Pearlyne Joy Napay and Flor Bongcaron from the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office tallied six and five points each to grab second and third places worth P2,000 and P1,000, respectively, also with medals.

Among those who participated in the CSC women’s chess rivalry include Provincial Health Office’s May Joy Saquilayan (four points) and Elsa Saquilayan (three pts), Assessor’s Emily Pero (three), PEO’s Susan Paderna (three), Provincial Governor’s Office’s Ritchel Pajara (two), Assessor’s Grace Cortez (two), PEO’s Bernadeth Gregory (one), and Sangguniang Panlalawigan’s Marylou del Rosario (one).