THE Chess Wizards, spearheaded by Henry Roger Lopez, emerged as champion in the just-concluded 2009 1st RDR Team Chess Championship held Sunday at the Capitol Building in Mankilam, Tagum City.

The Chess Wizards bested the National Master (NM) Cedric Magno-led 4-Ever Young, Jerwell Andoy-led Jose Maria College (JMC)-A and 2008 Asean Age-Group Chess Championship twin gold medalist John Ray Batucan-led Representative Ungab-Toril teams that placed second, third and fourth, respectively.

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The champion team received P15,000, while the second and third finishers collected P10,000 and P5,000, respectively. All top three placers also brought home trophies.

NM Elwin Retanal of Benjamin Bautista Special National High School edged the Andoy brothers -- Jerwell of JMC-A and Jester of JMC-B -- via the tiebreak to rule Board 1. The three players scored identical four points in the five-round tournament.

Magno earned 3.5 points good for fourth place, followed by three pointers Lopez, Gerald Cavan of DAB Selection and Jay Bulicatin of JMC-C, who occupied in the next three spots.

Reigning Asean Age-Group Chess boys 12 rapid champion Austin Jacob Literatus of Rep. Ungab-Toril, meanwhile, ruled board 2 with 4.5 points.

"I couldn't believe I still topped the board considering that I played against older and veteran players," Literatus, a Palarong Pambansa gold medalist, said in the vernacular when interviewed by Sun.Star Davao over the phone Tuesday.

Literatus of Doña Carmen Denia National High School freshman will be recipient of the Male Athlete of the Year of the So Kim Cheng Sports Awards on July 22 for his Vietnam Asean chess stint where he collected one gold, three silvers and one bronze.

Chess Wizards bet Cirilo Enobio placed second, while DAB'S Selection's Darwin Bermudes came in third. 4-Ever Young's Gil Rodis finished fourth.

The board 3 title went to Ademar Toleran of JMC-C, while Cerlin Anabieza bagged the board four crown. (MLSA)