Batucan seizes Shell chess lead in Cagayan de Oro leg

MANILA, Philippines - Second seed John Ray Batucan flashed top form and swept his first six matches to wrest the solo lead in the juniors division while brothers Ronald and Romeo Canino took control in kiddies play in the Shell National Youth Active Chess Championship Northern Mindanao leg at SM City in Cagayan de Oro City over the weekend.

Batucan, a mainstay of Cor Jesu College, trounced Sheryl Calua, Junpril Castro, Janin Crisologo, Aljie Cantonjos, Janes Caingles and Gerard Acedo to surge ahead with six points in the premier 20-and-under category of the event sponsored by Pilipinas Shell and sanctioned by the National Chess Federation of the Philippines.

Meanwhile, NM Rustom Tolentino, the 2002 juniors champion, and kiddies participant John Michael Labis of West City Central School made the ceremonial moves to kick off the two-day event serving as the fourth leg of the six-stage nationwide series which coincides with the centennial anniversary of the energy and gas technology leader in the Philippines.

Others who graced the event were Dante Gandionco, Pilipinas Shell Health, Safety, Security, Environment manager for North Mindanao, Import Facility; Pilipinas Shell Social Investment manager Jackie Ampil, and Pilipinas Shell Social Performance advisor Janot Barretto.