MANILA, Philippines - Julius Gonzales of La Salle Greenhills and Jesca Docena of Wesleyan College put on a strong finish to capture the boys and girls’ kiddies crowns, respectively, in the Shell National Youth Active Chess Championships NCR leg at SM Megamall Event Center last Thursday.
Gonzales actually seized control early with a sweep of his first five games then closed out with 3.5 points in the last four rounds to emerge solo champion in the 14-and-under class of the nine-round Swiss system tournament sponsored by Pilipinas Shell.
The third seeded Gonzales trounced Patrick de Leon in the sixth round, held top seed Darryl Samantila in the seventh then whipped Carl Valdellon and Dennis Gutierrez to finish with 8.5 points and book a berth in the national finals.
Samantila, playing out of Adamson, won his last two matches and took the other finals berth by finishing second with 8 points while Karl Andres and Robin Ignacio ended up joint third with seven points.
The third-ranked Docena, on the other hand, won her last three games over Franchel Javier, Jasmine Tejada and No. 4 Francois Magpily to top the seven-round Swiss system tournament with 6.5 points.
Tejada, of Antonio Del Rosario School, swept her first four matches but drew with Magpily in the fifth round then dropped a stinging setback to Docena in the sixth before beating Glenderlyn Anana in the final round to salvage second place with 5.5 points and clinch the other berth in the grand finals.
Magpily, of Maximo Elem. School, wound up with five points in a tie with seven others, including Javier, Angela Grande, Charlotte Paez, Marylaine Lumacad, Natalie Abuzo and Anana.
Pilipinas Shell Social Investment manager Jackie Ampil and IM Rodolfo Tan Cardoso, also the first Asian IM, graced the awards rites.