Bong caps chess romp, leads SEAG team

Steady till the end, grandmaster Buenaventura "Bong" Villamayor topped the Shell National Open Rapid Chess Championship Grand Finals with plenty to spare at the Department of Interior and Local Government Multi-Purpose Hall.

Villamayor, the solo leader as early as the 11th round, scuttled international master Petronio Roca in the 21st round then settled for a draw with fellow grandmaster Eugene Torre in the 22nd and final round to complete a masterful showing in the event serving as the qualifying round for the rapid chess event in the Vietnam SEA Games this December.

He scored 15 points to win the championship and the P70,000 cash prize that went with it.

"Nakuha sa tiyaga. Maganda siguro ang preparasyon ko kaya ako nag-champion," said Villamayor, a member of the Philippine Air Force team.

Grandmaster Joey Antonio, IM Mark Paragua, Torre and IM Jayson Gonzales finished second, third, fourth and fifth, respectively, and, thus, also made it to the five-man RP Rapid Chess team to the Vietnam SEAG.

The three GMs, Paragua and NM Ronald Dableo, who topped the recent Shell National Open Chess Championship, will also see action in the Classic (long game) Category.

WIMs Arianne Caoli, Beverly Mendoza and Cristine Rose Mariano, WFM Sherrie Joy Lomibao and WNM Kathryn Ann Cruz will see action in both events in the women’s category.

Antonio, who finished with 14 points, settled for runner-up honors and the P50,000 cash prize after a last-ditch try to tie Buenaventura on top fizzled out.

He ran smack into IM Nelson Mariano II’s brick wall defense and steady positional play and lost by time forfeit in the final round.

Paragua finished a point behind Antonio at third, then came Torre at fourth with 12.5 points and Gonzales at fifth with 12.

Torre, reeling from a loss to Roca in the 20th round, failed to gain headway against Gonzales in the 21st round and settled for a draw.