GATUS WINS CALAPAN CITY, ORIENTAL MINDORO CHESS TITLE BY TIE BREAK POINTS

by Marlon Bernardino

NATIONAL MASTER Edmundo Gatus displayed his old deadly form as he captured the title of 3rd LifeCore Enterprise Open Chess Championship dubbed as Calapan, Oriental Mindoro Open Chess Championship held at the Sangguniang Panglungsod, City Hall of Calapan City, Oriental Mindoro on Sunday.

The Tondo, Manila bet Gatus defeated 2011 LifeCore Enterprise Open Chess ruler Manalo Puertellano of Batangas City in the seventh and final round to finish undefeated with five wins and two draws to raise his total 6.0 points after seven games of play, the same output of Jerome Villanueva of Brooke's Point, Palawan, who upset Rodolfo Panopio Jr. of Calamba, Laguna.

Gatus took the championships trophy with a better bucholz tie break 33 points against Villanueva's 32.0 points in the 56 player's field.

“Luck played a part in my victory. Manalo (Puertellano) is a very tough opponent and I really had a hard time beating him,” said Gatus, a former University of Manila (UM) standout.

Gatus and Villanueva, split the combined P15,000 for the top two finishers in the National Chess Federation of the Philippines (NCFP) sanctioned tournament, hosted by LifeCore Enterprise proprietor Nicolas Ramil Castro and organized by United Chess Players of Calapan Inc. headed by it's president Emmanuel "Noel" Bandelaria Asi with FIDE national arbiter Gatpayo Luz who officiated the said one-day chessfest in close cooperation with the local government of Calapan and the City Sports.

“We are grateful that the city of Calapan as well as the province of Oriental Mindoro has taken interest in sports development in the province,” said tournament director Emmanuel "Noel" Bandelaria Asi.

Penultimate round solo leader Panopio, meantime was stuck at 5.5 points, good for a tie for 3rd to 5th place with Efren Arguelles of Tanauan City, Batangas and Fide Master Adrian Ros Pacis of Mandaluyong City.

Rounding up to the top 11 finishers with 5.0 points each are National Master Almario Marlon Bernardino Jr. of Quezon City, Joel Forcadas of Bongabong, Oriental Mindoro, Nezil Arj Merilles of Calapan City, Oriental Mindoro, Puertellano, Cesar Cunanan and Ronald Berdera of Calapan City, Oriental Mindoro.

Adjudged category winners are Arnel Ortiz for top senior awardee, Zenih Angelo Merilles for the top junior, Jan Myrtle Aclon for the top kiddie and Aylen Micaela Vilals for the top lady plum.

For details and inquiries for future chess tournament, please contact : 0917-5620402, 0999-9948059.