San Sebastian, Letran bag NCAA chess titles

San Sebastian College Recoletos won the NCAA seniors chess division for the second straight year. Photo: Jan Dizon

The San Sebastian college seniors chess team copped their second straight NCAA chess trophy on September 22 at the Colegio de San Juan de Letran Gym in Muralla, Intramuros. Letran, meanwhile, took the juniors crown.

The Stags compiled 58 points after 18 rounds, eight points clear of runner up College of Saint Benilde. Emilio Aguinaldo finished third with 43.5 points.

FIDE Master Mari Joseph Turqueza took home MVP honors and the gold medal in Board 1, while National Master Homer Cunanan of SSCR is coach of the year. Adrian Perez and Alexis Emil Maribao took the gold medal in Boards 2 and 3 to highlight San Sebastian's dominance this season.

Other gold medal awardees include Hans Christian Balingit of College Saint Benilde (Board 4), Lyceum of the Philippines University's Romy Fagon (Board 5), and Mapua Institute of Technology's Paolo Angelo Garcia (Board 6).

The rest of the schools finished in this order: LPU, 41.5; Arellano University, 41; CSJL, 38.5; MIT, 37; San Beda College, 34; University of Perpetual Help System Dalta, 8.5; Jose Rizal University, 8.

The Colegio de San Juan junior chess team and Fr. Vic Calvo pose with their trophy. Photo: Jan Dizon

Over at the juniors division, Letran accumulated 64 points to take its second consecutive diadem. Arellano and SBC concluded in second and third with 59 and 46 points.

FM Paulo Bersamina of Letran is the juniors division MVP, while NM Roland Joseph Perez is the coach of the year. The Squires also took the gold medals in Boards 2 and 3, courtesy of Melwyn Kenneth Baltazar and John Fleer Donguines.

Kyz Llantada of AU and Joshov Alekhine Rosarda are co-Board 4 gold medalists, as Karl Vincent Andres (Board 5) of Immaculate Conception Academy and Ynna Sophia Canape (Board 6) of Arellano round up the individual champions.

LPU finished with 45 points, while La Salle Greenhills came up with 40. The rest of the field are as follows: SSCR, 35.5; ICA, 32; UPHSD, 28.5; Malayan High School of Science, 8; JRU, 2.