Dabawenya earns ticket to Shell chess finals
DAVAO City bet Janes Hitfield Caingles booked a ticket to the grand finals by clinching the top female player award of the recently-concluded 24th Shell National Youth Active Chess Championship's Northern Mindanao leg held at the Cyberzone of SM City Cagayan de Oro.
The sixth-seeded Caingles, a varsity scholar at the Holy Cross of Davao College (HCDC), amassed a total of six points in the nine-round seniors event of the Swiss System format competition. She finished sixth overall in the 48-player field that saw third-ranked Ahmad Ali S. Azode of Ausan National High School bagging the title over top-ranked Diego Abraham Caparino of the University of San CarlosCebu and Kenneth Norman Honculada of Xavier University (XU)-Cagayan de Oro City.
Top two placers Azode and Honculada along with Caingles will vie for bigger prizes at stake in the grand finals slated Oct. 1 and 2 at the SM Megamall.
Caingles, who pocketed P4,000 for her feat, finished 27th during the Southern Mindanao leg held at The Annex events center of SM City Davao held August 13 and 14. Thus, she tried her luck to qualify for the finals in Cagayan de Oro.
The Dabawenya eked out wins over XU's Yomir John Paulo Guerrero, Abdul Malik Ramon of Marawi State University, Emmanuel Acierto of MOGCHS, HCDC teammate Monique dela Corta, Marvin Maribojoc of Bukidnon State University and Kenneth James Placencia of HCDC. She, however, lost to Caparino, Notre Dame of Dadiangas's Baltazar Rafales, Jr. and Azote in the fourth, fifth and ninth rounds, respectively.
Meanwhile, Japeth Aaron Caresosa of Panabo Faith Mission Academy placed third with 7.5 points in the junior division. He claimed P3,000 and a trophy.
Davao City National High School's Kurth John Placencia grabbed the sixth spot with seven points.
Aside from Caingles, Dabawenyos seeing action in the grand finals are Southern Mindanao leg seniors champion John Ray Batucan and runner-up Daniel Rome Borinaga and juniors runner-up Earl Rhay Mantilla, all of the University of Mindanao, as well as NCR seniors top lady performer Rowelyn Joy Acedo of the De La Salle University.