Manila’s NCAA champions rule Inter-Cities chessfest

Final standings:

16 points—College of St. Benilde Manila; 14—MMDA-Makati,  Don Galo-Parañaque; 13—Calamba-GPTex Global A, Roxas-Palawan; 12—Muntinlupa; 11—Antipolo, LWUA-Quezon City A, Apocalypse Maila,  Ozamis, Binalonan,  JSB Marketing-Urdaneta,  Calamba-GPTex Global B

By Roy Luarca

DAGUPAN CITY—College of St. Benilde Manila leaned on Joel Pimentel and Jimson Bitoon in the last two rounds to rule the 2010 National Inter-Cities and Municipalities Rapid Chess Team Championship at the People’s Astrodome here Sunday.

Pimentel bested Mari Joseph Turqueza and Bitoon downed Jason Mercado as reigning NCAA champion St. Benilde stunned Local Water Utilities Administration-Quezon City A, 2.5-1.5, in the ninth and final round to amass 16 points on seven wins and two draws in the event organized by the National Chess Federation of the Philippines in cooperation with the Dagupan city government.

The final-round triumph and their eighth-round 2-2 draw with Calamba-GPTEx Global-B in the eighth sealed the amazing run of the Manila campaigners—seeded just 18th among 43 teams that competed—and rewarded them with the top purse of P70,000.

Pimentel and Bitoon also saved the day for St. Benilde-Manila in the eighth round when they won over Peter and Samson Lim, respectively, compensating for the collapse of top board player Rolando Andador, who suffered back-to-back losses to International Master Ronald Dableo and GM Darwin Laylo.

It was a reversal of form for Andador, who thwarted IM Chito Garma as St. Benilde-Manila dumped Roxas-Palawan, 3.5-0.5, in the seventh round.

MMDA-Makati of Grandmaster Wesley So and Don Galo-Parañaque City, led by David Elorta, shared second with 14 points. 

The 17-year-old So beat IMs Oliver Barbosa and Chito Garma before settling for a draw with NM Manny Senador of Calamba-GPTex Global-B in the final round.

So, the country’s highest rated player ever who was invited to play in the tournament by MMDA chair Francis Tolentino, wound up with seven wins and two draws, slightly behind board one gold medalist Dableo, who finished with eighth wins against a loss.

BY ROY LUARCA
Lifted from Inquirer SPORTS, 12/21/2010