MILLERY Gen Subia and Mark Jeross Albert swept both rapid and blitz gold medals in their respective brackets in the Nationwide Youth Chess Tournament 2024 dubbed “2nd Eugene Torre Cup held over the weekend at the Gateway Mall 2 Activity Center in Cubao.
Subia reigned supreme in the girls’ under-12 division while Albert prevailed in the boys’ U12 section of this event organized by the NCFP and backed by FIDE, the Eugene Torre Chess Museum and Philippine Arbiters Chess Confederation, Inc.
FIDE Master Mark Jay Bacojo and Juziela Marielle Agne topped the rapid premier U18 class with the former finishing with 8.5 points and the latter edging Yana Emilou de Vera via tiebreak after ending up with identical 7.5 points.
John Jerish Velarde and Kayla Lorraine Aurelio, for their part, stole the thunder from the favorites by reigning supreme in the premier blitz U18.
Velarde finished ahead of the heavily favored Bacojo while Aurelio snatched the crown from FIDE World Chess Olympiad-bound Ruelle Canino via win-over-the-other rule.
Other rapid winners were Justine Sumer Oncita (U15), John Randall Peralta (U12), Franiel Angela Magpily (GU15) and Reese Valerie Barbosa (GU9) while Allie Jean Ong (GU15), Faith Louise Dorupa (GU9), Rafael Irvin Lacorte (U15) and Evan Meneses (U12).
“We just want to help the country produce more chess champions,” said Torre, Asia’s first ever Grandmaster.