Tuesday, October 17, 2006 Balbona rules Godwin chess
MARQ Gabriel Balbona came out as the toughest player in the 8th Godwin Kiddies Active Chess tournament after he captured the championship title yesterday despite settling for a draw against his own younger sibling, Francis Shaun, in the seventh and final round at the Bibo Chess Club.
The 10-year-old Balbona had virtually won the crown as early as the sixth round after he toppled seven-year-old rival Kyle Rhenzi Sevillano to pull ahead of the pack by earning a six-game total of six points.
The six points under Balbona’s name allowed the latter the luxury of opting for a win or just a draw in the final round since either way he would still emerge on top.
Balbona’s journey towards snaring the championship title was also highlighted with an upset win in the fifth round when he won over Nikki Sabiquil in an Italian Game that allowed him to build a lead of half a point.
Blunder
The 13-year-old Sabiquil, who played in Board 3 for the University of Cebu (UC) in the recent Milo Little Olympics and Cesafi chess wars, made a huge blunder when he overlooked white’s pawn to the f5 fork, which opened the way for Balbona to launch an all-out attack in the kingside that created an inevitable mating net.
Sevillano took the second place honor as he survived the Bucholz System tie-breaker after being caught in a four-way logjam alongside Sabiquil, Alain Angliongto and Francis Shaun.
The four all inked 5.5 points apiece at the end of the tourney.
Sabiquil settled for the third place, while Alain Angliongto and Francis Shaun landed in the fourth and fifth places, respectively.
Among Sevillano’s victims in the earlier rounds include Godfrey Villamor, who he bested in a sizzling Slav Defense game, and Angliongto, who was beaten in a Benoni Defense. (JAF)
