Dimakiling ends Laylo's streak

No. 2 seed Oliver Dimakiling ended NM Darwin Laylo's winning run the other day, creating a major shakeup in the overall standing after seven rounds of the Union Insurance national junior chess championship at the Ever Gotesco Commonwealth in Quezon City.

The 18-year-old Dimakiling had pressured Laylo in the middlegame, then exploited a superior endgame position to win in 54 moves. The victory gave the De La Salle top board player six points and a share of the lead with Laylo, along with four others.

NMs John Paul Gomez and Rhobel Legaspi, and kiddies standouts Julio Catalino Sadorra and Joaquin Banawa kept pace with the leaders after beating their respective opponents.

In the girl's event, NWM Beverly Mendoza and Cristine Castellano won their seventh round matches to share the lead with six points apiece.

The leaders meet each other in the penultimate round with Laylo pitted against Sadorra, Dimakiling against Legaspi and Gomez vs Banawa, and Mendoza playing Castellano.

Meanwhile, the 2000 national kiddies under-14 chess championship fires off Tuesday at the Ever Gotesco Ortigas Complex in Pasig City.

Deadline for registration is on Monday at 5 p.m. at the PCF office in Makati.