Olay wins Araw ng Dabaw open chess championship

KIDAPAWAN City-born international master (IM) Edgar Reggie Olay edged fellow 6.5 scorer national master (NM) Aexander Lupian of Davao City via superior tiebreaks to emerge champion in the Mayor Inday Sara and Vice Mayor Rody Duterte 76th Araw ng Dabaw Open Chess Tournament that came to a close Sunday at the NCCC Mall Davao Function Cove.

Top-seeded Olay, a nurse by profession, outclassed second-ranked Davao City's NM Macanuna Macala in the final round of the seven-round Swiss System format tournament organized by National Chess Federation of the Philippines (NCFP) Region11 and sponsored by the city government of Davao through the Sports Development Division of the City Mayor's Office.

Olay also defeated Ruel Nuttal, Percival Penoliar, Christian Lesaca, Cirio Enobio and Lito Boyboy in earlier rounds but drew with 19th-seed Arace Quinonez in the third round.

Palarong Pambansa-bound John Ray Batucan of Dona Carmen Denia National High School, for his part, led two other six-pointers Peter Tidoy and Reynaldo Gempero as they occupied the third, fourth and fifth place, respectively.

Macala, Henry Roger Lopez of Panabo City, Nuttal, Enobio and Vincent Umayan of Davao City, who tallied 5.5 points each, grabbed the next five spots.

Jay Bulicatin, who placed 11th, earned five points along with 13 others including female players Ella Grace Moulic of the Holy Cross of Davao College and Mary Israel Palero of the Holy Cross of Davao College.

Winners received cash prizes and medals in the chessfest that attracted a total of 130 woodpushers all over Mindanao. (MLSA)