Turqueza, Docena top Shell NCR chess

MANILA, Philippines - La Salle’s Mari Joseph Turqueza and Jerad Docena of FEU-Fern Diliman nipped their rivals in the tiebreak to rule their respective divisions in the Shell National Youth Active Chess Championships National Capital Region leg at SM Megamall Event Center last Sunday.

The 10th-ranked Turqueza stunned second seed Sheider Nebato in the fifth round then eked out a pair of draws with Antonio Chavez Jr. and Jan Nigel Galan before downing Daniel Casil Jr. in the final round to finish with seven points in this kick-off leg of an eight-stage nationwide circuit put up by Pilipinas Shell.

Nebato, also from FEU, and unheralded Adrian Perez of Mapua actually matched Turqueza’s seven-point output but the La Salle bet took the juniors crown with a higher tiebreak score. Nebato bounced back from a loss to Turqueza with victories over Bryan Barcelon, Ferdinand Reyes Jr. and Wilbert Pilarta and settled for second.

Listed 186 in a field of 218, Perez swept his last four games against higher-ranked rivals, including No. 36 Steven Dacanay, No. 32 Narquingden Reyes, 11th seed Lennon Salgados and No. 14 Alfred Rapanot to finish third in the eight-round tournament and clinch the last NCR berth in the grand finals in October.

GM Eugene Torre and Janot Barretto, Social Performance head of Pilipinas Shell-Pandacan, graced the awards rites of the two-day event sanctioned by the National Chess Federation of the Philippines. Other awardees were Ateneo and Adamson (schools most represented), 4-year-old Kaye Anne de Leon (youngest player), Alexis Osena of La Salle-Lipa and Akiko Suede of La Salle (top female players), Stephen Pangilinan (top 8-years-old) and John Eric Margarito (sportsmanship).