6 share lead in Batangas active chess

MANILA, Philippines - Second seed Lennon Hart Salgados racked up five straight victories to lead a six-player logjam on top in the junior division of the Shell National Youth Active Chess Championships Southern Luzon leg at SM City Event Center in Batangas City over the weekend.

The 16-year-old Salgados toppled Nairadeth Dulce, Rogelio Algaba Jr., Simone del Rosario, John Bongon and Neil Javier, to join No. 4 Jayson Mercado, fifth seed Antonio Chavez Jr., No. 6 Alfred Rapanot, No. 11 Wilbert Pilarta and No. 14 Paulo Cristobal in the lead of the 20-and-under division of the tournament sponsored by Pilipinas Shell.

Earlier, Luz Amparo, executive assistant to Batangas City Mayor Vilma Dimacuha, and Andrew Castueras, Shell Tabangao Refinery operations manager, made the ceremonial moves to kick off the two-day, two-division event which drew a maximum field of 500, including 274 in the kiddies side. Also gracing the opener were Alex Merano, HR manager of Shell Tabangao Refinery, and Ronald Suarez, sustainable development manager of Pilipinas Shell.

Mercado beat Desiree Escarez, Jhonel Agustin, Jerome Villanueva, Andrea Medina and Roy Coronel; Chavez prevailed over Lyn Esguerra, Jaeric Caballero, Ali Guya, Giovanni Romero, Cyrene Romero and Emil Maribao; Rapanot downed Emmanuel Espiritu, Bryan Calata, Gladys Romero, Nigel Valenzuela and Bryan Martinez; Pilarta hurdled Jeric Farofaldane, Analyn Cueto, Jeremiah Alfonso, Apollo Agapay and Michael Aguilar; and Cristobal won over Paul Florin, Angelo Cabauatan, Maria Intia, Joy Templonuevo and Leonard Libongcogon.