FAR Eastern University, Ateneo de Manila University, University of Santo Tomas, and National University-Nazareth School each took home a championship in the inaugural UAAP Season 87 Blitz Chess Championships held Saturday at the Adamson Gym.
The Tamaraws dominated the men’s division with a commanding 4-0 victory over top-seeded UST in the finals.
Tournament MVP and FIDE Master Mark Bacojo led the charge for FEU, securing four wins in four matches on the top board against Chester Reyes.
De La Salle University clinched third place in the men’s division after defeating the University of the Philippines, 3-1, in the battle for the bronze.
In the women’s division, Ateneo secured its first-ever chess championship via tiebreaker after forcing a 2-2 draw against FEU in the finals.
Ateneo head coach Yves Ranola breathed a sigh of relief following a nerve-wracking finals series that came down to the wire.
“Up to the last game ‘yung laban. Yung naging decider ‘yung sa Board 2. Kailangan namin at least makatabla. Nakuha sa dasal and may halong suwerte na rin. Alam mo sa blitz kelangan hindi lang magaling ka. Dapat may kasamang suwerte ka rin,” said Ranola, after women’s division MVP Ma. Elayza Villa forced a crucial draw with FEU’s Mhage Sebastian on Board 2, salvaging the title despite Ateneo trailing after the first half of the finals.
De La Salle also took third place in the women’s division after edging UST, 2.5-1.5, in the bronze medal match.
Meanwhile, UST added another crown by winning the boys’ division, thanks to FIDE Master Alekhine Nouri’s perfect 16-match win streak on Board 1 during the eliminations, earning him MVP honors.
Despite suffering consecutive 3-1 losses in Rounds 1 and 2 of the finals, UST bounced back with a 4-0 sweep in Round 3 and secured a 2-2 draw in the last round to win the championship via tiebreaker, anchored by Nouri’s strong performance on Board 1.
In the girls’ division, National University-Nazareth School stunned FEU by forcing a 2-2 draw in the finals and clinching the title based on total points scored.
Sara Dalagan spearheaded the victory for NUNS, defeating national team standout and Woman FIDE Master Ruelle Canino in back-to-back matches during the first two rounds, setting the tone for the Sampaloc-based squad.
NUNS coach Jose Aquino Jr. praised Dalagan for flawlessly executing their strategy, which he said was key to their unexpected championship run.
“The truth is yung game plan namin is yung dalawang players nila (FEU) sa gitna. Sabi ko sa players ko yung Board 2 and 3, sina Canino and Claros, yun ang ineutralize natin. Kung one of the them matablahan niyo lang, magchachampion tayo. Ayun nagawa naman. Si Dalagan naka 2-2 eh kay Canino. Kasi yung sa amin, very confident ako sa Board 1 ko na mananalo talaga,” shared Aquino.
NUNS’ Jersey Marticio was named MVP of the girls’ division.
Adamson University and UST finished third in the boys’ and girls’ divisions, respectively.
In the rapid event, FEU’s Franklin Andes and Franchesca Largo were named MVPs of the boys’ and women’s divisions, respectively. UST’s Daren dela Cruz (girls) and Chester Reyes (men) also claimed MVP honors in their respective divisions.