Top chessers gear up for Shell Active finals

Forty-eight of the country’s top young chessers, who survived the tough five-leg regional elims in the last four months, brace for a battle royale – not only for top honors in three divisions but also for bragging rights as winners, on a national level, of the last Shell National Youth Active Chess Championship.

Pilipinas Shell Petroleum Corp. (PSPC), which has sponsored the annual talent-search since 1992, is bowing out of the chess scene after 25 years, proud of its grassroots youth program that has helped boost the sport and produced world-beaters like GMs Wesley So, Mark Paragua and Nelson Mariano II.This makes the final tournament doubly interesting and sentimental, with the finalists all fired up for the big event set Oct. 7 to 8 at the Music Hall of SM Mall of Asia in Pasay.

NCR leg champions Cyrus Francisco of San Beda (kiddies), Francois Magpily of Gen. Pio del Pilar National High (juniors) and Dale Bernardo of Far Eastern University (seniors) head the elite cast of players that includes the other top finishers in the other regional elims in Batangas, Cagayan de Oro, Davao and Cebu.

Like in the elims, the finals will be a 9-round Swiss system tournament with the seniors champion to receive P30,000, the juniors winner P20,000 and the kiddies titlist P10,000 plus their respective trophies.

The top female player will also get P10,000 (17-20 age group), P5,000 (13-16) and P4,000 (7-12). The other NCR top finishers are kiddies finalists Chester Reyes, Cedric Abris and Roilanne Alonso, juniors James Erese and Julius Gonzales and seniors Jeth Morado, Darry Bernardo and Ynna Canape.

The other finalists from their respective regional elims are:

(Batangas leg) Michael Concio Jr., Mark Bacojo and Daren dela Cruz (kiddies); Stephen Pangilinan, Daniel Quizon and Kylen Joy Mordido (juniors); Jonathan Jota, Romulo Curioso, Jr. and Venice Vicente (seniors);

(Cagayan de Oro leg) David Ancheta, Joseph dela Rama and Rhea Canino (kiddies); Adrian Yulo, Ronald Canino and Mary Joy Tan (juniors); Ahman Ali Azote, Emmanuel Acierto and ZsuzsaTabudlong (seniors); (Davao) Wesley Magbanua, Charliemagne Arias and Ruth Atog (kiddies); Aaron Caresosa, Kurt Placencia and Irish Yngayo (juniors); Andre Jiorgo, Gino Asuncion and DhonaYngayo (seniors);

(Cebu) Jerish Velarde, Jeraian Cagang and Edelyn Vosotros (kiddies); Chris Pondoyo, Cyril Telesforo and Alphecca Gonzales (juniors); and Allan Pason, Jethro Esplanada and Jinky Catulay (seniors).

The event, sponsored by global power, energy and gas technology leader Pilipinas Shell, is held to discover new chess talents, especially in the countryside and sanctioned by the National Chess Federation of the Philippines, is also backed up by Shell Fuels (Shell Fuel Save), Shell Helix, Shell Rimula, Shell Advance, Shell Card and Shell V-Power in cooperation with SM Supermalls.