THIRTEEN (13) chess players led by US Master Rodrigo Atotubo gain headway as they scored three points each after beating their respective opponents during the weekend chess hostilities in the 2010 George S. Aguirre/Atty. Eugenio Villasor Villanueva, Jr. (GAEV) Memorial Negros Open Individual Chess Championship at the Ang Sugbahan-Top's Millennium Plaza Bowling Lanes Inc., along 10th-Hilado Street, Bacolod City.
Top seed Atotubo held his ground against Boy Guanzon to win in 45 moves of QID and will face Seeded No. 14 Ariel Solinap on Saturday in the 4th round.
Other who collected three straight points were No. 14 seed Eric Abanco, No. 2 NM Sander Severino, Bobby Bantilan, CM Ted Ian Montoyo, Prof Dwight Perez, Aguedo
Docase, PO1 Ernie Abanco, Herbert Ciocon, Jr., Leo Romitman, Ric Raymund de la
Peña, and Ellan Asuela.
Seven other players garnered 2.5 points namely Josevito Tapulgo, defending champion Bryll John Arellano, Jay Ian Sarrosa, Gerard Joshua Gelera, Roy Villa, CPA, Richfield Rivera and Jordaine Tupas.
Eric Abanco defeated Rommel Agravante in 56 moves of Slav; Severino did the same in 71 moves against Prof. Manny Ramos; Bantilan defeated Stella Mar Guadiano in 49 moves of QPO; Montoyo beat Gary Baltar in 44 moves of Reti; Prof. Dwight
Perez won over Paul San Jose in 49 moves of Pirc; Docase beat Sammy Labrador in 66 moves of English; Ernie Abanco down James Carmelo Uy in 40 moves of Larsen; Ciocon defeated Jerich Cajeras in 34 moves of Caro-Kann; Romitman beat Douglas
Diego Perez in 47 moves of English; De la Peña won over Ronnie villa in 51 moves of QGA and Asuela beat Stephen Garong in 16 moves of Bird's opening.
Eight players were eliminated for defaulting twice leaving other players to continue playing in the 5th round on Saturday, September 4, 2010 at the same venue.
The top pairings of those who collected 3 straight points will be Eric Abanco vs NM Sander Severino, Bobby Bantilan vs CM Ted Ian Montoyo, Prof. Dwight
Perez vs Aguedo Docase, PO1 Ernie Abanco vs Herbert Ciocon Jr., Leo Romitman vs Ric Raymund de la Peña and Ellan Asuela vs Josevito Tapulgo (2.5) in that order.
Huge prizes are at stake in all categories. In the Open Category, the top prize of P6,000 plus 42-inch four-legged trophy donated by First Community Bank (Rural Bank), Inc. through its president Mr. Lawrence D. Villanueva; P5,000 plus 36-inch four-legged "Queen" trophy donated by Mr. Antonio Ivan S. Aguirre, CPA,
CFE, CSI, MBA for 1st runner-up; P3,500 plus 30-inch, four-legged "Rook" trophy donated by the Center Clinical Trials, LLC (Dr. Catalina S. Villanueva, M.D.) for 2nd runner-up; P2,500 plus 27-inch "Bishop" trophy donated by Ms. Leah N.
Aguirre for 3rd runner-up and P1,000 plus 24-inch four-legged "Knight" trophy donated by Chessbake Engineering Group of Engr. Hugo Villanueva, PE.
The 6th to 25th places will receive each Eureka chess sets with chess mats and bags donated by Mr. Alexander Fomenko.
Top scorers in the Kiddies will also get their rewards of P700 plus gold chess medal for 1st place donated by Dr. Jesus D. Villanueva, M.D. and Raymund D.
Villanueva; P500 plus silver chess medal donated by Ms. May Jo Aguirre for second place; and P300 plus bronze chess medal donated by Atty. Joselito Gonzaga Magapan and Sonia N. Magapan for 3rd place.
The top three scorers in the women's division will also get their rewards of
P1,000 plus gold chess medal donated Dr. Elvira G. Ramos for 1st place; P600 plus silver chess medal donated by Atty. Susan D. Villanueva and Atty. Joey
Ochave Law Office for 2nd place; and P400 plus bronze chess medal donated by
Anthony Leo N. Aguirre for 3rd place.
This seven-round Swiss System event is organized by Game Royale Aficionados of
Negros, Inc. (GRANI) headed by Dr. Alfonso Teorima and sponsored by US-based
chess patrons Antonio Ivan Aguirre and Engineer Hugo Villanueva. (with reports from Scoop-Bacolod)