INTERNATIONAL Master Joel Pimentel scored 41/2 points to capture the title in the 1st Governor Eugenio Jose V. Lacson Chess Tournament - Open category held August 20, 2021, at the Provincial Capitol building.

The Bacolod City-hailed Pimentel was forced to draw in the fifth round against La Carlota City’s Theseus Benitez, who settled for fourth place.

Pimentel swept the initial rounds when he first defeated Gary Abaño of La Carlota City in the opening round, followed by National Master (NM) Xavier John Verdun of Cadiz City, Stevenson Garong of Bacolod, and Fide Master (FM) Nelson Villanueva of La Carlota City.

Meanwhile, Bacolod’s Garong finished second place with 4 points followed by La Carlota’s FM Villanueva and Benitez, and Ted Ian Montoyo of Bacolod City with 31/2 points each.

On the other hand, settled sixth to ninth places with 3 points apiece are Syrel June Coleta (Himamaylan City), NM Verdun, NM Edsel Montoya (La Carlota City), and NM Edwin Tan ( San Carlos City) as Danny Maersk Mangao of Isabela ended tenth place.

The tournament was played in Rapid Chess, 20 minutes with 5 seconds increment to finish the game, and shall be governed by Fide Laws of Chess.

The five-round Swiss System with the following tie break systems in descending order of priority -- direct encounter, Buccholz system, Sonnenberger system, Median Buccholz, among others.