Junior Chiefs, Blazers pace NCAA chess

MANILA, Philippines - Arellano U continued its impressive showing as it pummeled San Beda, 4-0, over the weekend to remain atop the heap in the high school division of the 86th NCAA chess tournament at the fifth level of the SM City Manila.

St. Benilde, for its part, kept its grip of the seniors’ division as it smashed Mapua, 3.5-.5, to climb to 41.5 points, a clear 5.5 points ahead of defending titlist Letran, who inched a bit closer with a 4-0 thrashing of Emilio Aguinaldo.

Kyz Llantada, Carlo Caranyagan, Jaymarc Gutierrez and Tucker Viernes delivered the key victories on all boards to hike the National Master Rudy Ibanez-mentored Junior Chiefs’ total to 38.5 points, 1.5 ahead of Letran.

The Blazers got the points from Joel Pimentel Jr., Jerson Bitoon and Narquingden Reyes on boards one to three while Mapua’s Anthony Noche averted a shutout by halving the point with Narquingel Reyes on board four.

Reigning MVP Chester Brian Guerrero, Ivan Gil Biag, Jesus Benjamin Lising and Jesus Alfonso Datu scored the wins for the back-to-back-seeking Knights, who gained half a point closer with 36 points to the Blazers but still looked so far away.

The Squires likewise hacked out a 4-0 result over the Brigadiers on wins by Cherry Ann Mejia, Mike Suede, Christian Dave Larida and Christian Drapete to improve to 37 points.

La Salle-Greenhills, which snared the first round pennant, zoomed from fourth to third with 35 points with a 4-0 bashing of Mapua following triumphs by John Nigel Galan, Giovanni Mejia, Alfonso Ramos and Miguel Lahoz.

San Sebastian, the reigning champion, slid to No. 4 with 32.5 points after drawing a bye.

In other high school result, Perpetual Help downed Jose Rizal, 3-1, in this event organized by a committee headed by San Beda’s Jose Mari Lacson.