TEN-YEAR-OLD Ruelle `Super Tawing' Canino took North Cotabato by storm to lead Cagayan de Oro bets' march into the Grand Finals of the 2019 National Age-Group Chess Championships.
Already a qualifier via a silver finish in 12-under girls during the Visayas leg, the multi-titled Canino took part in 20-under girls section of the Mindanao leg qualifying tourney held, over the weekend, in the municipality of M'lang, North Cotabato.
There, Canino unleashed her full might defeating much older foes one after the other to emerge champion.
"Kuyaw kaayo nga bata, she's only 10 years old pero iyang giharos ang 20-under girls bracket," arbiter Lorenzo "Jun" Cuizon said of the only Batang Pinoy triple-gold medalist in chess competition early last month in Tagum City, Davao del Norte.
Thirteen other chess talents from the City of Golden Friendship joined Canino as qualifiers in the national age-group grandfinals to be slated April 4-9 in Iba, Zambales.
They are Zahyou Capilitan, Mean Joy Baclayon, Clyde Harris Saraos, Nahbi Gamba, Samantha Trish Balquin, Mary Joy Tan, Christian Aquino, Aizel Gicole, Keth Adrian Ilar, Janella Garcia, Rhea Jane Canino, Bhea Buen Ecal and seeded Fide Master Ronald Canino.
Capilitan (8-under girls gold), Baclayon (16-under girls gold) and Saraos (16-under boys gold) qualified through the Visayas leg. While Gamba (8-under boys gold), Balquin (10-under girls gold), Tan (16-under girls gold), Aquino (18-under boys gold), Gicole (18-under girls gold), Ilar (10-under boys silver), Garcia (12-under girls bronze), Rhea Jane Canino (14-under girls bronze) and Ecal (20-under girls bronze) all qualified via the Mindanao leg.
"Our Cagayan de Oro chess delegates were quite successful in the Mindanao leg as we produced most of the qualifiers to the national grandfinals. Pero dili ta mag-relax in the hope nga maka-gold gihapon ang mga taga Zambales," Oro chess head coach Johnnel Balquin told SunStar Cagayan de Oro.