Wednesday, August 13, 2008 PNP-10 bags top prize in Patag chessfest
PNP-10 and Goldcrest teams made a 1-2 finish as the oldest and the youngest board players on the field shone the brightest in the 2008 Patag Fiesta Open chess team tournament concluded here Sunday at Barangay Patag's covered court.
National Master Roger Verganio proved that a 53-year-old mind can still do better when he scored 5.5 points in 6 rounds to lead PNP-10's pocketing of the P12,000 top purse.
Also anchored by Eutemio Coquilla, Dondon Emnace and Boy Almuena, PNP-10 amassed 13 points in the four-board rivalry that attracted a total of 18 teams to emerge solo champion.
"Tiguwang na pero maka-away pa man diay (I'm already old but glad that I can still compete). Now I realized that updating your chess in the Internet can be the best way to keep your competitive fire," the ageless Verganio, who in his prime had beaten the late Grandmaster Rosendo Balinas, told Sun.Star Cagayan de Oro.
Verganio listed former Cantilan Open champion NM Ernesto Fernandez of Pagadian, Jake Gonzales, Mario Arroyo and Jan Vincent Cayaba among his victims on the top boards.
In stark contrast, Goldcrest leaned on the heroics of 14-year-old Lennon Hart Salgados of Corpus Christi School to salvage the second-place honor worth P6,000.
With NM Rustum Tolentino agonizing on board 1 with stunning defeats at the hands of Nazario Ubanan and Coquilla, the youthful Salgados played through undefeated on board 2 to make a difference.
Fresh from winning the medal race on board 2 as member of Misamis Oriental team in the last inter-province tourney in Tandag, Surigao del Sur, the 2007 National Shell kiddies champion bested the likes of 2005 National Shell junior titlist Bryan Jose, erstwhile Letran mainstay Jordan Muleta, ex-World Chess Olympiad campaigner WNM Loreshyl Cuizon, Jaime Frias and Emnace. While his solitary draw came in his penultimate round duel with Gingoog City pride, Erwin "Wawing" Alerta.
Also with the runner-up Goldcrest team (12 pts) are the vast-improved Alfredo Rapanot Jr. and Carino "Loloy" Torres on boards 3 and 4.
Host Patag (10 pts) and Gingoog (9 pts) placed third and fourth, respectively.
Joining Verganio and Salgados as individual board medalists are Engineer Rogelio Golez Jr. (board 3, 5/6) of Marita, Pepe de Villa (board 4, 5/5) of Gingoog and Almuena (board 5, 4/5) of PNP-10.
Patag chair Benedicto A. Fabricante, Kagawad Allan Sambaan and event coordinator Ben Badal presided over the distribution of cash prizes to the winners. (LLS)
