GINGOOG City pride Allan Cantonjos, on Sunday, July 9, humbled local bet Johnnel Balquin to win the 2017 Barangay Carmen Pre-Fiesta Open Chess Knockout Tournament held at Carmen covered courts in Cagayan de Oro City.
Cantonjos of the Philippine Airforce nailed the title with a 1.5-.5 edge over City Hall’s ace player Balquin in the final.
The Airforceman drew first blood in the opener, using his tough-nut-to-crack London System, easily among the opening systems being revived by no less than the current World Chess Champion Magnus Carlsen.
“Nagkahuot ako. Aminado ko pilde ko ato nga dula,” said Balquin, adding he learned a lesson or two in their first-game setto.
Balquin tried to bounce back with a razor-sharp line of the French Defense but could not break PAF’s solid resolve.
“Mao ra gyod akong strategy kang Balquin nga na-engkwentro sab nako sa Bukidnon. Pildehon nako sa white, then manabla lang ko sa black,” Cantonjos later told SunStar Cagayan de Oro.
Cantonjos bagged the champion’s purse of P10,000 plus trophy, while Balquin got the runner-up prize of P5,000.
In the semifinals, both Cantonjos and Balquin blanked Jake “The Snake” Gonzales and John Vincent Cayaba, respectively, in two games.
Cayaba and Gonzales received P2,500 each.