Quizon, Borromeo cop Shell chess titles

MANILA, Philippines - Daniel Quizon and Genesis Borromeo came away with a pair of inspiring breakthrough victories while veteran campaigner McDominique Lagula took the seniors plum in the 2015 Shell National Youth Active Chess Championship national finals at SM Megamall last Sunday.

Proving their worth in their first grand finals appearances, Quizon and Borromeo snared the kiddies and juniors titles, respectively, in varying fashions with the former, a San Juan Elementary School standout, dominating the 12-and-under division with eight points for a 1.5-point victory over Mark Bacojo and Adrian de Luna.

Borromeo, on the other hand, hurdled Ahmad Azote and Laila Nadera at resumption of the nine-round Swiss system tournament to cushion the impact of his final round setback to Adrian Yulo.

The Dias College mainstay from Tanjay, Negros Oriental, the lowest ranked player in the 16-player field, actually finished tied for first with top seed Dale Bernardo of Far Eastern U, who lost one and won two matches in the last three rounds, at 6.5 points. But Borromeo took the 13-16 crown with a superior tiebreak score to complete his successful run in his first-ever stint in the circuit sponsored by Pilipinas Shell.

Lagula scored 2.5 points in the last three rounds as he finished tied for first with National U’s Vince Medina at 6.5 points but the San Beda College bet snatched the 17-20 crown with a superior tiebreak score.

Gracing the awards rites of the event, sanctioned by the National Chess Federation of the Philippines, were Melanie Bularan, Shell social investment and social performance manager, and FIDE Master Randy Segarra, a Shell active chess alumnus.

 Sharing the spotlight were Irish Yngayo of Davao Central College (5 points), Jesca Docena of Wesleyan College of Manila (5 points) and University of the Philippines’ Arvie Lozano (5.5 points), who clinched the top female honors in the kiddies, juniors and seniors divisions, respectively.

Quizon, only in his second year in the country’s longest-running talent search, sustained his fine start, drawing Jerome Aragones in the seventh round before trouncing Yngayo and Ronald Canino to fashion out the convincing victory.