After a slow start, Far Eastern University woodpusher Jeth Romy Morado is starting to reintroduce himself as the country’s premier junior chess player.
Morado wielded the Slav Defense like a magic wand in dumping Robin Ignacio in 41 moves and powering FEU to a 3.5-.5 demolition of National University that kept them comfortably perched at the helm in the men’s division after the eighth round of the UAAP Season 82 Chess Tournament at the UST Quadricentennial Pavilion Sunday.
Meanwhile, defending champion La Salle stopped FEU in its tracks with a 2.5-1.5 victory in a showdown between the league’s big guns to slice the latter’s huge lead in the women’s section of the chess tournament.
Franchell Eds Javier ambushed Jemina Valdez’s Caro-Kann Defense in 52 moves on board four that proved the decisive point as the Lady Woodpushers improved to 20 points.
But it hardly shook the Lady Tams from the top where they are still unflappable with 23 points.
Finally, National University overtook idle University of the East with a 3-1 win over Ateneo after the eighth round in the Boys’ Division.
Chester Neil Reyes, Mark Gerald Reyes, and Dennis Gutierrez, Jr. delivered the wins on boards one, two and four, respectively, in propelling the Bullpups to the top with 20.5 points.
Cris Angelo Rayos gave the Eaglets their only point with a win over Joseph Lawrence Rivera on board three.
Saddled with a pair of early draws in the first round, the 20-year-old Morado finally hit his stride and has piled up victory after victory to hike his impressive total to seven points out of the possible nine.
And with him rides an inspired FEU squad that has already amassed 25 points, or a whopping 4.5 points ahead of the pack that is headed by University of Santo Tomas, overwhelmed University of the Philippines, 3.5-.5, with 20.5 points.
RK Sevillano and Darry Bernardo provided the other victories for the Tams on boards two and four, respectively, while JM Jacutina halved the point with Jayson Danday on board three to complete the one-sided result.
Overall, FEU is gunning for a league-record 15 men’s title.
And it looks like only the end of the world could stop the rampaging Tams from achieving such feat.