Davao City's woman national master (WNM) Samantha Umayan clinched two gold medals in the 2024 National Age-Group Chess Championships at the Oriental Convention Center in Dumaguete City, Negros Oriental.
The chesser from Buhangin said she didn't expect to win back-to-back titles, saying, "Marami pong malalakas na players sumali, tsaka medyo hindi po kasi naging maganda yung performance ko sa naunang event, sa standard po (There were many strong players who participated and my performance in the standard event was not that good)."
However, she said winning in her final year in the NAGCC is fulfilling.
(I'll be overage next year, so I'm happy with my performance in blitz and rapid during the eliminations)," she added.
Umayan, a 17-year-old Far Eastern University (FEU), scored perfect sevens to rule the girls under-18 (U18) blitz and rapid categories. She bested Jersey Marticio (6.5 points) and 4.5 scorers Kyla Dalagan and Cheena Cervantes for the blitz title.
Ranked sixth at the start of the blitz tournament, Umayan delivered stunning victories over top-seed Marticio, second-seed Bonjuoure Fille Suyamin, fourth-seed Lyn Getubig, and fifth-seed Yana Emilou de Vera. She also outwitted Shainah Ira Ordonez, Glysdi Aghon, and Queenie Heart Orbosis.
In the rapid event, Umayan bagged the gold medal with seven points.
Marticio, who led two other five-pointers Suaymin and Kyla Dalagan via superior tiebreaks, settled for the silver medal.
The ninth-seed Umayan defeated top-seed Ruelle Canino, Suyamin, Getubig, Marticio, AFM Antonella Berthe Racasa, De Vera, and Orbosis.
Meanwhile, Umayan finished sixth in the 26-player girls' U18 standard event with five points but still qualified for the grand finals. Marticio captured the gold medal with eight points, while Dalagan and Suyamin each tallied six. MLSA