Chavez shocks Tabada, shares Shell Cagayan de Oro active chess lead

MANILA, Philippines - Fifth ranked Antonio Chavez Jr. upended top seed John Tabada to force a three-way tie for the lead in the junior division of the 2010 Shell National Youth Active Chess Championship Mindanao leg at the City Tourism Hall in Cagayan de Oro Saturday.

Chavez rode on his victories over Angel Gutobat, Jovan Estilo, Ronnel Cantonjos and Leo Aton to stun Tabada on board one in the fifth round and press his bid for one of the three berths in the grand finals in the 20-and-under division.

Second seed Francisco Porras IV and No. 3 Jerwell Andoy lived up to their billing and swept their first five games to tie Chavez at the helm with five points heading to the last three rounds of the premier class in the event sponsored by Pilipinas Shell.

No. 8 Neptali Batucan III stood in solo fourth with 4.5 points while 19 others, including Tabada, remained in the hunt with four points.

Longshot Ron Ruiz of Polanco High School surprised the kiddies side by racking up five straight wins as he joined top seed Joy Acedo of Jose Maria College, No. 2 John Batucan of MOGCHS and six other seeded bets in the lead with four rounds to play.

Ranked 300th in a field of 362, the unrated Ruiz toppled Roldan Cuizon, Niel Crisologo, Junpril Castro, Grace Baclayo and Jeremy Pepito to join the 14-U class leaders.

CDO Vice Mayor Ian Caesar Acenas and Ronald Suarez, Pilipinas Shell sustainable development manager, made the ceremonial moves kicking off the two-day tournament sanctioned by National Chess Federation of the Phils. and backed by Shell V-Power, Shellane, Shell Helix and McDonald’s.

Others who graced the event, held in partnership with SM Supermalls, Cagayan Colleges Tuguegarao, Central Philippine University Iloilo, University of San Carlos Cebu and Cagayan de Oro City Tourism, were Tabbee Bagadion, Pilipinas Shell retail territory manager for CDO and Bukidnon, former Shell chess finalist Jaime Joshua Frias II, and Shell depot manager Jun Abina.