MISAMIS Oriental’s young chess warriors made history in the pre-Olympiad chess eliminations for Mindanao, which concluded yesterday, October 5, at the Ozamiz City Gymnasium.
The province’s 15-year-old trio — Keith Adriane Ilar of El Salvador City, Klent Rayon of Talisayan, and Dwayne Vincent Caneos of Balingoan — achieved a stunning 1-2-3 finish in the men’s division, which drew 64 participants.
Meanwhile, the MisOr girls’ tandem of Janin Dhrey Querequere of Balingoan and Zairra Mae Arado of Balingasag secured the top two spots in the women’s division. Cagayan de Oro’s high schoolers Sherleen Cobey and Richily Evans Cuizon placed third and fourth, respectively.
For their victories, the bemedalled Ilar — a pride of El Salvador City who represented Maramag, Bukidnon in this event — took home the men’s top prize of P15,000, while Querequere pocketed P10,000 as the women’s champion.
Both emerged unbeaten: Ilar tallied 5.5 points in six rounds, while Querequere posted 4.5 in five. They now lead the qualifiers (men with 3.5 points and women with three points) advancing to the semifinals, where the country’s International Masters and FIDE Masters await them for tougher competition.
Organizer Rey Urbiztondo told Gold Star Daily that a total of P157,000 in cash prizes plus medals were distributed to winners in the Governor Henry Oaminal–backed tournament. The event serves as Mindanao’s selection stage for the national qualifier, which will determine the country’s representatives to the 2026 World Chess Olympiad in Uzbekistan.
“While we were greatly surprised, the teenagers’ domination in Ozamiz shows that chess development in the country has evolved significantly. It’s another milestone, especially for Mindanao’s cause,” Urbiztondo said.
Also making waves was 12-year-old Miykael Jerahmiel Lapad of Laguindingan, Misamis Oriental, who shocked veteran National Master Mardonio Fuentes in the opening round — besting the top-seeded local bet in 48 moves with the black side of the Caro-Kann Defense.
Lapad went on to defeat Dipolog City’s top non-master Michel Jackson Ambuang and held second seed Ubanan to a draw in the final round, finishing with 3.5 points — enough to qualify for the semifinals.
Host Ozamiz and Misamis Occidental also celebrated a rising star: 11-year-old Jainah Marie Verdida, who finished fifth in the girls’ division. She lost only to champion Querequere and third-placer Cobey, showing strong form throughout the event.
This tournament is the first of four national and international chess championships scheduled in Ozamiz by the National Chess Federation of the Philippines. Among these is the highly anticipated Asean+ Individual Chess Championship, set for November 2 to 10, which will award direct titles such as Grandmaster and International Master to top performers.
