UE captures 4th straight UAAP juniors chess crown

University of the East capped another fruitful season with back-to-back shutout wins over the weekend to win its fourth consecutive juniors crown with plenty to spare in UAAP Season 68 Sunday at the UE Briefing Room.

Nelson Mariano III positioned himself toward a consecutive MVP plum with convincing wins—a 52-move beating of a Sicilian of Andrew Delfin in UE’s 4-0 win over National U Saturday and a brief 24-move triumph over Enrique Santos in a similar rout of Ateneo Sunday.

The UE juniors totaled 36.0 points in bagging the crown. Ateneo, which saw its chance disintegrate with a 2-2 draw with Santo Tomas U Saturday, was a far second with 26.0 points. Rounding out the final standings were UST third with 21.5 points, Adamson fourth with 19.5, NU fifth with 12.5 and La Salle sixth with 4.5.

University of the Philippines amassed 36.0 points after 13 rounds of play in men’s chess and holds a precarious half-point lead over defending champion De La Salle (35.5) and one full point over UST (35.0). The men’s standings after 13 rounds had UE in fourth with 30.0, FEU fifth with 28.0, Adamson sixth with 21.5, Ateneo seventh with 17.5 and NU eighth with 4.5.

UST, with 33.0, heads the women’s chess contest, followed by De La Salle with 28.5, UP 28.0, FEU 21.5, Ateneo 19.5, UE 14.5 and NU 11.0.

A playoff for No. 1 spot for the final four ensued in men’s volleyball after FEU, the reigning champion, defeated UST, 25-20, 25-20, 23-25, 25-22, Sunday at the UP gym in Diliman. Regardless of the other results of the postponed matches set for last night and this morning, UST and FEU are on top two places with 12 wins and two losses each.

UP, with 10-3 following a 21-25, 25-22, 26-24, 25-12 loss to Adamson Sunday, is No. 3 for the final four with 10-3, while the Soaring Falcons are fourth with an 8-5 card.

In women’s volleyball, defending titlist De La Salle is up front with 11-2, having defeated Adamson, 25-21, 18-25, 25-17, 25-21, Sunday. The loss sent the Lady Falcons to second place with 10 wins and three losses.