DAVAO CITY -- Veteran age-group campaigner Ronald Canino saved the best for last for Cagayan de Oro delegation as he erased all his frustrations by winning his first medal in the international chess arena.
The 15-year-old Canino, a grade 10 student of Misamis Oriental General Comprehensive High School (MOGCHS), copped the gold in a surprising finish of the 19th Asean Age Group Chess Championships 16-under open individual classical standard event on Sunday at the Royal Mandaya Hotel here.
Canino, a six-time RP Asean Age Group campaigner, kept his pace at solo third after beating countryman Gal Brien Palasigue in the seventh round, trailing by half a point against joint leaders in Fide Masters Alekhine Nouri of the Philippines and Pham Phu Vinh of Vietnam.
But, the tables have turned on the Cagayan de Oro pride as upsets rocked Nouri and Pham in the eighth round.
Canino took the opposite turn as he pulled a half-point lead after defeating Pham at the top board, while Nouri bowed to Christian Marcelo Olaybal.
He figured in a tree-way tie for first place alongside Pham and fellow Vietnamese Bui Duc Hui after securing a draw with long-time national championship rival Japeth Aaron Carsosa in the ninth and final round.
The three of them were awarded with gold medal each, but Canino had the higher tie-break points against the two.
National Chess Federation of the Philippines (NCFP) president Prospero “Butch” Pichay earlier said that titles will be given out to the first placers in the 12U to 20U categories.
The younger Canino, Ruelle, was enjoying a 1.5-point lead after round seven and needed only a draw in the last two rounds for another gold finish in the 10U girls individual classical standard event.
But the three-time Asean gold medalist ended her winning streak after dropping her matches against teammate Kaye Lalaine Regisdor and Vietnamese Nguyen Ngoc Hien in the eighth and ninth round, respectively.
The pint-sized Canino was held in a tie for second with the Viet, but both were awarded with silver each.
The Caninos acknowledged the support of City Mayor Oscar Moreno, city sports overseer Rocky Calingin and city sports coordinator Jaymar Rivera.
The Oro bets are set for another medal hunt in the rapid and blitz events starting on Monday, June 25.