MANILA, Philippines – Defending champion Far Eastern University served notice of its title-retention bid by winning its first two assignments in the 2010-11 UAAP chess team championships at the 9/F, FEU Technology Bldg.
Led by veteran Sheider Nebato and handled by coach GM Jayson Gonzales, FEU fashioned out a pair of 3.5-.5 victories over University of Santo Tomas in the first round and University of the Philippines in the second round to take the early lead in this prestigious eight-team, seven-round tournament.
Nebato defeated Gerald Ferriol of UST and Wilbert Pilarta of UP in their board-two matches to lead the Tamaraws’ early show of force.
Alfredo Rapanot crushed Patrick Erle Florendo of UST and Marc Christian Nazario of UP on board three, while Antonio Chavez outclassed Jude Emil Fronda of UST and Simone del Rosario of UP on board four.
Only FEU’s top board player, Lennon Hart Salgados, failed to extract the full point when he drew his matches against Joey Albert Florendo of UST and Leo Daylo Jr. of UP.