Cajeras, Pangilinan rule Shell Active Batangas leg

MANILA, Philippines - St. Benilde’s Jerich Cajeras scored three points in the last four rounds then nipped La Salle’s Jan Nigel Galan in the tiebreak to clinch the juniors crown while top seed Stephen Rome Pangilinan swept his last four games to cop the kiddies plum in the Shell National Youth Active Chess Championship Southern Luzon leg at SM City Batangas in Batangas City last Sunday.

The fifth-ranked Cajeras beat Lyceum-Cavite’s Jonathan Jota in a duel of the leaders in the sixth round, toppled top ranked Daryl Samantila in the seventh then drew with Galan and Kevin Arquero in the last two rounds to finish with eight points.

Galan also downed Jota in the final round to likewise wind up with eight points but Cajeras took the title with a superior tiebreak score. Both players, however, clinched spots in the grand finals of the annual event sponsored by Pilipinas Shell.

Samantila and Arquero wound up with identical 7.5 points while Christian Nazario, Kyz Llantada and Charles Abuzo shared fifth with seven points.

FEU’s Venice Vicente, who went 3-2 in the first five rounds of the 20-and-under category, upended Jessa Mae Cornel, Angeline Siaga and Jeazzir Surposa at resumption of the 9-round Swiss system tournament then drew with second seed Prince Mark Aquino to finish tied for eighth at 6.5 points and clinch the lone female berth in the grand finals set Oct. 11-12 at SM Megamall.

Eduard Geus, Shell Tabangao Refinery general manager, presented the awards to the top finishers of the second leg of the six-stage nationwide circuit held in conjunction with the centennial anniversary of Shell companies in the Philippines.

Pangilinan, who trailed Emanuel Van Paler, Justine Diego Mordido and Carl Jaedrianne Ancheta by half-a-point after five rounds, defeated Charles Galpo, Jesca Docena, Paler and Roi Palma as the Adamson standout emerged solo champion with 8.5 points in the 14-and-under section of the event backed by Shell FuelSave Unleaded and Diesel, Shell Fuel Oils, Shell V Power Nitro and Shell Rimula, as well as by Unilever and SM Supermalls and sanctioned by the National Chess Federation of the Philippines.

The 12th-ranked Noel Geronimo of UE also swept his last four matches, including a final round victory over No. 4 Darry Bernardo of Holy Angel U, to close out with eight points then edged Paler in the tiebreak to snatch runner-up honors and the other slot in the grand finals.

Docena of Wesleyan College bounced from a seventh round loss to Pangilinan as she whipped Faith Lomboy and Jerome Aragones to salvage a joint fourth finish at seven points and gain the lone female berth in the national finals.