NO more return of the reigning champions as girl ‘chess assassin’ Lila Alyssa Seriña and the title-hungry Adrian Othniel Patricio Yulo went on to steal the show in another Fide-Rated chess event in Cagayan de Oro for elementary, secondary, and tertiary students.
The 12-year-old Seriña, who topped the national youth online chess competition in 2021, played through undefeated to dominate the elementary rivalry as Adrian Othniel Patricio Yulo of De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde bagged the title in mixed secondary and college division of the day-long GCF Students Fide-Rated Rapid Chess Championships II concluded on Saturday at the Activity Center of the Ayala-Centrio Mall.
Coming from a tough draw with the top-seeded Quarl Maverick Vera Cruz in the penultimate round, Seriña defeated the rising Miykael Jerahmiel Lapad in the seventh and final round to finish with a remarkable 6.5 points in snaring the elementary crown and the P3,000 top purse plus trophy of the P40,000-rich tourney which also has a blitz competition on four boards.
This, as the former Milo Little Olympics MVP Yulo finally escaped from the clutches of the Canino brothers from the University of Perpetual Help System Dalta Altas to hold his ground in the premier junior chess skirmishes.
Yulo turned down the challenge of 2022 Vigan City Batang Pinoy medalist Keith Adriane Ilar in the final round then edged fellow six-pointers Ronald Canino and Karl Auguste Xander Sayson in the Bucholz tiebreaker to pocket the junior’s lion’s share of P3,000 and trophy.
“Finishing first at the expense of Vera Cruz and the Canino brothers is a tough job. My hats off to Seriña and Yulo for overcoming the challenge,” said tournament director Jaime Joshua Frias II.
Defending elementary champion Ashley Aya Nicole Paquinol, a gold medal winner in Vigan meet, apparently dropped to 17th place with only four points to show. While Romeo Canino’s title-retention bid in the junior category was stalled by a series of draws that relegated him to the fourth spot with 5.5 points total.
“With the help of Cagayan de Oro City Mayor Rolando ‘Klarex’ Uy, I hope to sustain this tournament becoming a monthly event for us to develop and produce future chess grandmasters,” said Alliance of Certified Enforcers (ACE) founding head Erwin Culanag, the main backer of the organizing Golden Chess Friends spearheaded by Benoni ‘Ben’ Wabe.
Here are the top-14 winners out of 64 participants in the elementary level: Lila Alyssa Seriña 6.5 points, Quarl Maverick Vera Cruz and Jesheene Ybur Careras six points, AFM Janin Dhrey Querequere, Mary Janelle Tan, Jan Calvin Abesamis, Sebastian Damonsong, Chloe Gaia Hewe, Miykael Jerahmiel Lapad, Jaden Cedric Abesamis, Richmond Valmores, Mary Angela Bagongon, Kyne Cian Balquin, and Rena Dalagan at five points each.
The top 12 juniors out of 64 entries are Adrian Othniel Patricio Yulo, Ronald Canino, and Karl Auguste Xander Sayson, six points, Romeo Canino 5.5 points, Christian James Aquino, Keith Adriane Ilar, Ace Joshua Caralde, LJ Getubig, Cassey Miguel Tabamo, Gian Patrick Espiritu, Lyn Getubig and Sara Dalagan at five points apiece.
