KORONADAL CITY, South Cotabato -- Bhing Joel Gimony and Honey Grace Buenafe of Davao Region captured individual chess golds to be named outstanding players of the 2016 National Private Schools Athletic Association (Prisaa) Championship secondary chess competition at the Notre Dame of Marbel University convention hall on Wednesday.
Gimony, a 16-year-old incoming Grade 11 student at the Jose Maria College, defeated Diomel John Escutin of Western Visayas in 64 moves of Sicilian Defense Opening in their fifth round match to finish with a total of 4.5 points.
The Dabawenyo ace bested four-pointers Victor Van Subiere and Cyril Felrod Telesforo of Western Visayas who got the silver and bronze, respectively.
"Lipay kaayo ko, para ni kay God, sa akong pamilya ug sa Davao Region ning akong daug (I'm so happy and this win is for God, my family and Davao)," Gimony said in an interview with Sun.Star Davao, adding that Escutin was his toughest rival in the five-round Swiss System format event sanctioned by the National Chess Federation of the Philippines (NCFP).
Gimony, a double silver medalist in the Iloilo edition of the National Prisaa last year, was elated by the feat as he also helped the region take home the boys chess team silver medal along with Earl Rhay Mantilla and Erbel Liwanan. Western Visayas totalled 11 points for the team gold while Davao made 10.5 points for second and Northern Mindanao (eighth) was third.
In the distaff side, JMC player Buenafe scored perfect five points to annex the gold over four-pointers Jovelyn Sepanton and Glydelle Casa of Western Visayas who ended up with the silver and bronze, respectively.
But the Dabawenyas, however, fell short of the team gold as they only finished second to champion Western Visayas. Buenafe was joined by Jessa Marie Bautista and Roselle Vienne Guevara in the team.
Buenafe, who outclassed Jee-Ann Faye Barry of the Cordillera Autonomous Region (CAR) in 61 moves of Nimzo Indian Defense Opening in the final fifth round, said in the vernacular, "I'm so happy `coz this is the first time I scored perfect in a national competition and first time to win an individual National Prisaa gold." She got a silver last year.
Against Barry, Buenafe said she took her time playing her.
"Nadugay mi pero wala ko maglisod. Wala lang ko magdali kay basin masipyat ko. Nagpaabot rako niya (It took us awhile to wrap up the match but I didn't have a hard time. I just wanted to be sure of my moves so as not to make costly errors. I just waited for her)," Buenafe said.
She was set to return to Davao Wednesday evening to catch the trip going to Albay for the 2016 Palarong Pambansa that is set to open on Sunday.
Meanwhile, Davao's Andre Miguel Jorgio earned four points after fifth round to share the second to 10th place in tertiary men's division while Starjen Candia of Davao Region registered 4.5 points to share the first to fourth place with three Central Luzon chessers in tertiary women's event.
The sixth round was still being played as of Wednesday. The final seventh round is set this morning.