Villanueva, Diez rule Shell chess

CEBU City — University of Negros Occidental-Recoletos freshman Nelson Villanueva compiled seven points in as many games to rule the 20-and-under bracket while his kiddie counterpart, University of Mindanao-Davao sixth grader Boris Michael T. Diez capped his win run with a seventh round walkover to rule their respective divisions in the Cebu stage of the Shell National Youth Active Chess Championship 2000 concluded at the University of San Jose-Recoletos Basak campus gymnasium Sunday.

Villanueva went for a queen-and-rook finale in his seventh round assignment, outmaneuvering University of Cebu’s Christopher L. Tundag for a seat in the Shell active chess grand finals, a gold medal and the P5,000 top purse.

Cebu City bet Dennis B. Navales also finished with seven points but had to settle for first runner-up honors and P4,000. La Carlota City’s Marlon E. Gonzales wound up as second runner-up nailing the bronze and P3,000. Third runner-up Tundag earned P2,000 while fourth runner-up Merben B. Roque got P1,000.

In the 14-and-under section, the 12-year-old Diez took 15 moves to beat his final round opponent to gain the title and P4,000 plus a slot in the December grand battle of leg champions co-sponsored by ABS-CBN 23 and the Philippine Long Distance Telephone Co. (PLDT).

Corpus Christi School-Cagayan de Oro high school sophomore Ralph M. Dalauta lost out in the tiebreak but earned a kiddie grand finals slot, first runner-up honors and P3,000.

Top-seed Jimson V. Bitoon of Cebu took 2nd runner-up honors followed by Juan Carlos E. Coquilla of Ormoc City and Christian T. Robillos of Mandaue City got P500.