Perez reigns in Iloilo chess

MANILA, Philippines - Douglas Perez stunned top seed Steven Aguirre in the seventh round and toppled Lloyd Lanciola in the final to capture the juniors division crown of the Shell National Youth Active Chess Championship-Western Visayas leg via sweep at the Central Philippine University gym in Iloilo City last Sunday.

Lyster Andador dominated the kiddies side, beating Julius Selibio, Kenan Anoran, Lou Baculna and Gerald Gelera at resumption of the tournament as the Rafael Lacson Memorial High School-Talisay City student completed his sweep of the nine-round tournament for 14-and-under players.

Perez, one of three players in joint fourth after five rounds of play, surprised Aguirre with his superb handling of the black pieces, essaying the crucial win that propelled the John Lacson Colleges Foundation-Bacolod student to the championship in the 20-and-under category.

Ranked 115 in a field of 154, Perez emerged the solo winner with 7.5 points and towed two other lesser-fancied bets – No. 103 Michael Ocido and No. 133 John Silvederio – to the grand finals of the annual tournament sponsored by Pilipinas Shell.

Ocido, of West Negros Univ.-Bacolod, whipped Argie Nobleza, Lanciola and

Sheila Sepanton, while Silvederio, of CPU, trounced Norwin Diaz, Nobleza and Fritz Porras, to finish with identical seven points in the eight-round tournament.

Dante Gandionco, Shell Lapuz terminal manager, and Iloilo Province’s provincial administrator Raul Banias awarded the prizes to the winners. Other awardees were top female players Karen Joy Anoran of West Negros Univ. (kiddies-7.5 pts) and Sheila Khan Sepanton of Central Phils. Univ. (juniors-6 pts) and five-year-old

Jan Khrisna Dev Salvilla of Baptist Center Christian School (youngest player).

Finishing second to Andador in the kiddies was Lanz Otero from Sto. Domingo Elem. School who disposed of Robert Cabras, drew with Angelyn Binan, and prevailed over Baculna and Allen Gimeno for eight points.

Alson Lim also wound up with eight but lost in the tiebreak for runner-up honors. But the Bacolod Tay Tung High School student, who downed Sol Cruz Jr., Nae Aclaracion, Noel Batisla-on and Binan, still made it to the national Finals by finishing third in the 346 field.