Quiñanola keeps girls 14 lead

CEBU, Philippines - Cebuana pawnpusher Regina Catherine Quiñanola outsmarted Oryza Reign Repato in Round 7 to stay on top of the girls 14 leaderboard  in the 2017 National Age-Group Chess Championships (NAGCC) Grand Finals yesterday at Robinsons Galleria Cebu atrium.

Quiñanola now has 6.0 points after three full days of action, just a half-point ahead of Ruth Joy Vinuya and Irish Yngayo.

Alphecca Gonzales, who teamed up with Quiñanola in powering Central Visayas to a gold medal in elementary girls chess during the Palarong Pambansa last month in San Jose, Antique, dropped to fourth place with 4.5 points.

Cebu's other top bets in Jave Mareck Peteros and Laila Nadera also fared well in their respective age-groups. Peteros is currently at second in the boys 14-under with 5.0 points behind Daniel Quizon, who is unscathed after six starts, while Nadera is also at second in the girls 20-under with 4.5 points behind Women's FIDE Master Allaney Jia Doroy with a perfect 6.0 points.

Duane Borgonia stayed at fourth with 4.5 points behind Lee Roi Palma (5.5), Gal Brien Palasigue (5.0) and Jerick Marino (5.0) in the boys 16-under, while John Lester Belano ranks third with 5.5 points in the boys 12-under currently led by Michael Concio with 7.0 points.

Candidate Master Jerish John Velarde, however, slipped to eight place with 3.0 points in the boys 12-under, KC Morala tailspun to fifth with 4.0 points in the girls 20-under, Krisen Yochabel Marie Sanchez is also at fifth in girls 12-under with 4.5 points, Glybel Jane Quiñanola dropped from second to fourth in the girls 16-under with 4.0 points, while Sean Kenenth Cogonon slumps to sixth in the boys 10-under with 3.0 points still.

The top three winners in all categories of the week-long tournament sanctioned by the National Chess Federation of the Philippines (NCFP) will represent the country in the ASEAN Youth Chess Championships in Vietnam later this year. — EBV (FREEMAN)