May Ann Alcantara outlasted Bhea Buen Ecal in 69 moves of a Sicilian Defense to claim the premier girls’ Under-20 division of the Gov. Amor Deloso National Age Group Chess Championships at the Zambales Sports Complex in Iba, Zambales Friday night.
Alcantara, a native of Bulacan who plays for University of Santo Tomas, ran away with the title with 10 points, or a whopping three points ahead of Rizalyn Jasmine Tejada and Viona Nepascua, who finished second and third with seven points apiece.
Alcantara along with both Tejada and Nepascua thus booked spots in the national team seeing action in June’s ASEAN Age Group tournament in Myanmar where they have a chance to clinch Woman FIDE Master and Woman International Master titles and Woman Grandmaster norms.
Letran’s Melito Ocsan, Jr. downed Romulo Curioso and then edged Jhoemar Mendiogarin in a tiebreaker to snare the boys’ U-20 crown in this event sponsored by Gov. Amor Deloso, Congresswoman Cheryl Deloso, the Philippine Sports Commission and National Chess Federation of the Philippines’ Butch Pichay.
Ocsan and Mendiogarin, who dumped Jeremiah Luis Cruz, both ended up at the helm with 8.5 points but the former edged the latter, 40.75-38.75, via the first tiebreaker to end up as champion.
Eric Labog, Jr. trounced Duane Borgonia to rule the boys’ U-18 class with eight points while Vic Glysen Derotas waylaid Jinym Santos to sweep the girls’ U-18 category with 10 points.
Leonel Escote halved the point with Clyde Harris Saraos to snare the boys’ U-16 crown while Ma. Elayza Villa drew with Mary Joy Tan and then edged Ruth Joy Vinuya, who bashed Marian Calimbo, via a win-over-the-other tiebreak to emerge the girls’ U-16 winner.