USC bets dominate Shell Visayas Chess

MANILA, Philippines - Rhenzi Kyle Sevillano scored 3.5 points in the last four rounds to emerge solo champion in juniors division while Vic Glysen Derotas topped the kiddies section and took the top female honors to complete the University of San Carlos bets’ domination of the Visayas leg of the Shell National Youth Active Chess Championship juniors division at SM City Event Center in Consolacion, Cebu last Sunday.

The top seeded Sevillano, in joint third after the first five rounds of the 9-round Swiss system tournament, defeated third seed Allan Pason, erstwhile joint leader Diego Claro and No. 6 Vincent Balena at resumption before halving the point with No. 2 Felix Balbona to secure the 20-and-under division crown with eight points.

Balena, who with Claro swept the first five games, survived a shaky windup with 2.5 points to finish with 7.5 points then nipped fellow USC mainstay Balbona and Pason of Univ. of San Jose-Recoletos in the tiebreak to clinch the other berth in the grand finals of the third leg of the six-staged nationwide circuit sponsored by Pilipinas Shell.

Adelaide Lim of Univ. of St. La Salle won three of her last three matches to tie five others for fifth with seven points then took the lone spot staked for female players in the national finals set Oct. 11-12 at SM Megamall.

Richie Velasco, Pilipinas Shell Retail Territory manager for Cebu Pilipinas Shell Petroleum Corp., Sai Culanag, Pilipinas Shell Marine account manager for Philippines and Thailand, and Nico Chua of Pilipinas Shell Lubricants graced the awards rites of the tournament held in conjunction with the energy and gas technology’s centennial anniversary celebration in the country.

USC’s Airene Robillos also wound up with seven points but lost to Lim in the tiebreak and missed joining the grand finals.

Derotas completed the USC bets’ romp by ruling the 14-and-under side after edging West Negros U’s Valerio Mangubat, Sta. Barbara Central School’s Adrian de Luna and James Paraon in the tiebreak. All four finished with 7.5 points with Mangubat nailing the other spot in the grand finals.

Derotas beat Sara Olendo and Gil Casa Jr. at resumption, drew with Paraon then outclassed Mangubat in the final round to force a four-way tie at the helm. She also became the first female player to win both awards.