Saturday, June 28, 2008 Batucan, Acedo whip rivals in Primovit chess By Marianne Saberon-Abalayan
EARLY favorites John Ray Batucan and Rowelyn Joy Acedo won their opening matches at the start of the 2008 Primovit and Gaisano South Citimall Rapid Age-Group Chess Championship Friday at the GS Citimall entertainment center.
Batucan, a Grade 6 pupil at the Don Juan dela Cruz Elementary School and double gold medallist in the 9th Asean Age-Group Chess Championships in Vietnam, outwitted Pristan Palencia in the under-14 event of the Swiss System format chessfest.
Batucan is sharing the first round lead with Aglipay Oberio, Alvin Acas, and Clark Kent Anabiesa, among others.
Acedo, a silver medal winner in the Asean Age-Group event, beat Jeffrey Agabertan in the first round before turning back Earis Gimony in the second round match of the under-12 event.
In the under 18 category, Jerwell Andoy and Andrew Jason Carlos won their opening assignments while University of Mindanao's Adrian Dimakiling halved the point with Rodel Alsado.
Shell national grand finalist Mary Israel Palero also won her opening round in under-16 along with Ronnel Alsado, Alvin Acas, and Luckielou Aton.
Close to 100 chessers competed in the two-day meet that offers P3,500 cash prizes to each of the category champion and P2,000 each to the runners-up.
Final rounds will be played Saturday and will be followed by the awarding of prizes.
