MANILA, Philippines - Longshot Allan Pason completed his remarkable run in the Shell National Youth Active Chess Championships-Central Visayas leg, sweeping his last four games to emerge the solo champion in the kiddies division at the University of San Carlos North Campus gym in Cebu City last Sunday.
Pason, half-a-point behind seven players halfway through the nine-round tournament, hurdled Argie Lumapac, Neil Gili, Kyle Sevillano and Diego Claro as the Pajo National High bet, ranked 225 in field of 294, wound up with 8.5 points to rule the 14-and-under division.
Tristan Ibaoc, of Corpus Christi Grade School, also won his last four matches to finish with eight points then nipped Univ. of Cebu’s Jazzrelle Villarin in the tiebreak for runner-up honors.
Villarin also proved to be a surprise package in the sixth leg of the eight-stage nationwide circuit sponsored by Pilipinas Shell as she rebounded from a sixth-round loss to Gilig with victories over Laurence Miñoza, Vic Derotas and Troy Ibaoc. She wound up with eight points and copped the top female award.
Christian Fiel, meanwhile, lived up to his No. 1 billing as he scored 2.5 points in the last three rounds to top the juniors side of the tournament sanctioned by the National Chess Federation of the Phils. and backed by Shell V-Power, Shellane, Shell Helix, and McDonald’s.