Monday, December 18, 2006 3 chessers take lead in Cepca grand finals
DANTE Arguelles, Miguel Banibane and Maggi Dionson shared the lead after round two yesterday of the 2006 Cebu Executive and Professional Chess Association (Cepca) Grand Finals at the Stella Maris Seaferer’s Restaurant in Pier 4.
The three leaders scored two points each after the second round of the single round robin grand finals.
Arguelles, the Januray qualifier, scored with the bye in the first round before outwitting Jun Olis, the February qualifier, in a wild and wooly King’s Indian Defense encounter in the second round.
Banibane, the June qualifier, trounced Fabio Abucejo, the July qualifier, in a Sicilian Defense duel in the first round and Joe Atillo, the August qualifier, in a positional encounter of the Old Indian Defense in round two.
Dionson, the March qualifier, defeated Ramon Pangilianan of the Nimzo-Inian Defense encounter in the first round and heavily-favored Nikki “Boy” Estenor in a highly tactical Modern Benoni duel in the second round.
Missed victory
Piercival Fiel, the April qualifier, missed to seal his second victory after losing to Pangilian in the second round.
Fiel failed to execute the queen to a6 with the idea of rook to a8 to establish an inevitable mate in five moves.
“Nakulbaan ko, mao nga lahi akong gitira (I got nervous that's why I made a different move),” said Fiel.
Fiel just logged one point after the round along with Jong Melendez (May), Estenor, former Cepca president Mandy Baria (Sept), Abucejo and Pangilinan.
Olis and Atillo still had to log a win as they were facing their third round opponent as of presstime yesterday. (JAF)
