THEY never had a chance to play alongside in school varsity team as Christian Arroyo was a few years ahead of fellow Kagay-anon Lennon Hart Salgados when both landed as sports scholars at Corpus Christi High School in Cagayan de Oro, then in college at Far Eastern University in Manila.
With the guidance of Arena Grandmaster Rey Urbiztondo, the now Manila-based Arroyo and Salgados of the Philippine Air Force finally joined forces in the company of Gingoog City native Abner Cantonjos to unleash their chemistry with fatal effect.
Representing the Surigao Fianchetto Checkmates team that just qualified in quarterfinals of the 2022 Professional Chess Association of the Philippines All-Filipino Conference, the three of them went on to rule the cash-rich Cagayan de Oro Inter-Team “Tatluhan” Chess Tournament held March 26-27 at the Atrium of Limketkai Mall, this city.
With Salgados and Cantonjos performing above 50 percent on boards one and three, and Arroyo dishing out a perfect six of six on board 2, the Surigao Checkmaters were undefeated in six-round matches en route to bagging the P50,000 top purse and the championship trophy.
The Checkmaters garnered a total of 12 match points to go ahead of second-placer SM-Magic 2 and third-running Parabellum which had similar 10 MP points.
Zamboanga’s SM-Magic 2 composed of National Master Joey Albert Florendo, Vince Duane Pascual and John Cyrus Borce finished with better 13.5 tiebreak points to secure the second prize of P25,000. While Parabellum, made up of Jimmy Dano, Rey Abaa and Julius Ablin, had 13.0 tiebreak points to settle for the third-place honor worth P15,000.
“They’re really lucky when they come back to hometown Cagayan de Oro as teammates. Maayo nga kombinasyon,” Urbiztondo said of the two feared non-titled players in the country today.
Salgados had earlier finished runner-up in the Individual Open event behind his chess contemporary in eventual winner International Master Joel Pimentel of Bacolod City to get his first P10,000 cash of the day.
IM Pimentel and third-placer Fide Master Victor Lluch of Iligan City received P15,000 and P5,000 each.
On the other hand, Arroyo’s unbeaten stance on second board in team competition got him P1,500, and so board one gold medalist Pimentel of RCM Barkadahan and board three gold winner Rhenz Rhean Auza of El Dumadag A.
Placing fourth to 10th in the two-day over-the-board chessfest that attracted more than 40 teams around the country are MindMovers.PH.Cebu (Bonn Rainuld Tibod, Michael Pinar, Rosendo Yamyamin), Hanep Bahay Construction Corporation (Nelson Villanueva, Paul Omongos, Saipuding Ambol), El Dumadag A (Don Tyrone Delos Santos, Rogelio Canoy, Rhenz Rhean Auza), Charle's Angel (Rommel Ganzon, Randolf Christopher Dalauta, Elias Balase), Mind Movers (Aljie Cantonjos, Adrian Yulo, Remel Cantonjos), Marex (Jeriel Manlimbana, Cleto Vasquez, Fr Vic Arellano), and Kidapawan City Chess Club-Army (Kevin Mirano, Philjohn Leyson, Ronald Nonles).
MindMovers.PH.Cebu and Hanep Bahay brought home P10,000 and P7,000 apiece. While the rest of the top-10 finishers were given P5,000 each.
Completing the top-20 winners in the Individual Open behind Pimentel, Salgados and Lluch are Kevin Mirano, Tare, Melchor Arcenas Jr, Salubre, Bryle Arellano, Auza, Normel Benigno De Jesus, Ambol, Tibod, Florendo, Jemuel Calo, Aljie Cantonjos, Eutemio Coquilla, Zulfikar Sali, Jones Maghuyop, FM Nelson Villanueva, and Elias Balase.
The first official major OTB chess tourney in the City of Gold was successfully officiated by Lorenzo Cuizon Jr as chief arbiter with Johnnel Balquin as organizer and Jaymar Rivera as tournament director.
