Female pawnpusher lords it over male rivals in CEPCA monthly

CEBU, Philippines – Jessa Balbona stamped her class in a field of male competitors to rule Group B in the August edition of the Cebu Executives and Professionals Chess Association monthly tournament last Sunday at Handuraw Pizza along Gorordo Avenue, Cebu City.

A day before Balbona’s triumph, another female athlete in junior cyclist Patricia Ana ‘Ica’ Maximo got the surprise of everyone as she placed second overall in a tough men’s road cycling race, the 47-kilometer Bike for Hope Challenge from Liloan to Barangay Lugo in Borbon north of Cebu.

What makes Balbona’s victory more interesting is that the tournament was sponsored by the New York-based Susan Itaas, the first and only woman Cebuana National Master in chess.

Balbona, a Certified Public Accountant and a new CEPCA member, subdued Maribel Lumuyag in her first game, then drew with Laila Nadera before beating Jun Kidlat, Jonas Bajo, and Manny Abucay to emerge as the top performer in a  field of 39 entries in group B with 5.5 points.

Elmer Odango and Michael Tinga settled for second and third with 5.0 points each, while Ruel Hortelano and Andrew Balbona occupied the fourth and fifth spots with 4.5 points.

In Group A, Sergeant Amado Olea of the Philippine Air Force based in Mactan Island bagged the top honors with 4.0 points. He lost to Yves Christian Fiel in the first round but swept his next assignments against  Jojo Muralla, Carlo Maraat, Tony Cabibil and Rosendo Yamyamin.

Fiel wound up second and NM Arnold Cadiz third, both with 3.5 points.

Aside from pocketing P2,000 and P1,500, respectively, for their efforts, Olea and Balbona also earned berths to the grand finals also known as the ‘Battle of Champions’ this December.  Balbona also got a P500 bonus for being the top lady finisher, while Jave Mareck Peteros emerged as the top kiddie player.

They will be joined by early qualifiers Rey Flores, NM Arnold Cadiz, Peterson Sia, Rosendo Yamyamin, Tony Cabibil, Jimmy Ty, Jr., and Carlo Maraat for Group A and Regelito Hortelano, Ruel hortelano, Jun Kidlat, Elmer Odango, Jojo Paredes, Romy Pialan, and Edwin Cablao for Group B. — EBV (FREEMAN)