Tolentino, Yap bag Shell chess crowns

Rustum Tolentino and Kim Steven Yap booked identical 9.5 points in 12 games to top their respective brackets in the 2002 Shell National Youth Active Chess Championship over the weekend at SM Megamall in Mandaluyong City.

Tolentino of Cagayan de Oro City pocketed the gold medal plus P20,000 top purse in the 20-and-under bracket, while Yap of Cebu City earned the 14-and-below category’s gold and P10,000 prize money. Pilipinas Shell general manager for external affairs Bobby Kanapi handed the awards.

The junior division silver medal and P15,000 went to Bacolod City bet Ellan Asuela, while Joaquin Carlos Banawa of Novaliches, Quezon City won the bronze and P10,000 for his third place finish.

Tolentino, a Mapua Institute of Technology (MIT) reserve player, caught up with early leader Banawa in the ninth round and eked wins in his last three duels using his pet Ruy Lopez Archangel line to nail the junior division championship.

In the kiddie’s section, Vic Neil Villanueva of Pasay City logged 8.5 points to snatch the silver medal plus P7,500. Calumpit, Bulacan’s Karl Victor Ochoa took bronze and P5,000 with his third place finish.

Marc Anthony Laforteza of Manila Science High School finished a strong fourth.

mowing down the kiddie section’s top three placers one after the other in the last three rounds for a 7.5-point output.

Acknowledged "Father of Active Chess in the Philippines" and erstwhile Pilipinas Shell vice president for corporate affairs Reynaldo Gamboa opened the 12-round Swiss system tournament by paying special tribute to the late newsman Atty. Arturo A. Borjal who helped propagate and popularize active chess throughout the country.

The Shell chess tournament is sanctioned by the National Chess Federation of the Philippines.