Bataan seizes solo lead in MCA chess series

Defending champion Bataan tallied 9.5 points after four rounds to gain solo leadership in the Metropolitan Chess Association (MCA) Amateur League first quarter Saturday at the Lotus Garden Hotel in Padre Faura corner Mabini, Ermita, Manila.

The top seeded squad led by Truman Hernaez swept its first two assignments and drew with Data Access Enterprises before edging erstwhile co-leader Dar Obet’s Movers, 2-1, in the fourth round.

Hernaez and board two player Allan Macala scored 3.5 points apiece while Ricardo Briones contributed 2.5 to give Bataan a full point cushion over Data Access and Dar Obet’s going into the halfway mark of the three-man team event.

Leading the Data Access charge were NM Rolly Martinez and Rainier de Guzman with 3.0 points each while board three bet C. Valledor chipped in 2.0.