Elorta tops Campomanes Memorial chess

MANILA, Philippines — David Elorta showed why he is one of the fastest Filipino chess players today as he topped the Florencio Campomanes Memorial Christmas tournament at the PACE Center in Quezon City Sunday night.

Elorta, 36, downed Jerome Villanueva in the 11th and final round to finish unbeaten with 10.5 points, half a point ahead of International Master Jan Emmanuel Garcia with 10 points.

FIDE Master Narquinden Reyes and Vince Angelo Medina wound up tied for third with 8.5 points apiece but the former edged the latter in the tiebreaker in this tournament sponsored by the National Chess Federation of the Philippines in memory of the late former FIDE president Florencio Campomanes.

It was another victory for Elorta after he reigned supreme in the two editions of the Torre Cup and other Open events in Ilagan, Isabela, Toril, Davao twice, and was one of the country’s two representatives to last week’s 30th Southeast Asian Games.

Elorta shared the limelight as the country’s blitz kings with 15-year-old IM Daniel Quizon, who skipped the event.

Among the notable victims of Elorta were Grandmaster Darwin Laylo, IMs Ricky de Guzman and Paulo Bersamina and FIDE Master Nelson Mariano III.

Rounding up the top 10 were Medina, Laylo, Villanueva, Bersamina, Christian Mark Daluz, Kevin Mirano and Darry Bernardo.

Also receiving special awards in the recent tournament honoring the grand old man of Philippine chess were April Joy Claros (U12 girls), Daluz (U18 boys), Lizzie Jane Apigo (U18 girls), WIM Bernadette Galas (women), FM Adrian Pacis (senior) and Cyrus James Damiray (U12 boys).