MANILA – The Makati Chess Club Team B bagged the 1st National Inter-Chess Club Rapid Team Championship title after overcoming the Pasig Chess Club (3-1) in the seventh and final round Sunday.

The team from Makati, composed of FIDE Master David Elorta, Merben Roque, Richelliu Salcedo and Sherwin Tiu, garnered a total of 13 match points. The Makati woodpushers claimed the top prize worth P40,000.

Coming in at 2nd place is the g4 chess club Team A with 11 match points. The team brought home P20,000.

The Luneta Chess Club claimed the 3rd place trophy with a superior tie break. It finished with 10 points, just like Mandaluyong City, Makati Chess Club Team C, Quezon City Memorial Circle, and Laguna Chess Association (LCA)-Calamba.

The 5 teams that finished with 10 points received P7,400 each.

The individual gold medalists, meantime, are Board 1 Grandmaster Darwin Laylo (Tagaytay), Board 2 Ivan Gil Biag (Quezon Memorial Circle), Board 3 Melvin Salutan (Valenzuela), Board 4Vic Neil Villanueva (St. Louis Chess Club), and Board 5 Ronald Ganzon (Boracay Chess Club).

The chess competition was held at the Local Water Utilities Administration (LWUA) Building in Quezon City last Saturday and Sunday. It was hosted by the National Chess Federation of the Philippines (NCFP).

Non-master chessfest

Eduardo Estrella, meanwhile, dominated the 23rd edition of the 1st Saturday Non-Master Magnolia Chessfest Saturday.

Estrella defeated Jerad Docena after 40 moves of Queen Pawns Game in the seventh and final round of the event held at the Perez Building in Parañaque City.

He garnered a perfect 7/7 points to clinch the top prize of P 3,000. Former champion Joseph Esguerra and Robert Cacho were the 2nd and 3rd placers, respectively.

Top category winners included Top Senior Major (Ret.) Romeo Mateo (NAPCA member), Top Lady WFM Cherry-Ann Mejia and Top Kiddy Jerad Docena. – Report from Marlon Bernardino