NOVELTY CHESS CLUB OF BULACAN KEEPS LEAD IN BOBBY PACQUIAO CHESS FESTIVAL
By Eddie Alinea
PhilBoxing.com
Wed, 24 Feb 2016
GENERAL SANTOS CITY ?? Novelty Chess Club - of Bulacan worked behind its lower boards to draw even with top seed Bobby Pacquiao C, 2-2, and keep the top spot Tuesday in the Bobby D. Pacquiao Chess Festival 2016 at the Trade Hall of the SM Mall here.
Kelly Rancap and Louie Salvador, manning the teams' third and fourth boards, delivered the the needed punch for the Bulacan-based campaigners that more than maae up for the loss of National Master Roel Filipinas and Marc Christian Nazario in the top two boards.
Filipinas, playing the white pieces, bowed to the superior play of Grandmaster Jason Gonzales in the complicated middlegame while Nazario was outclassed by Alfredo Rapanot in Board 2.
Despite that pair of top board losses loss, the Bulakenos, who beat Gensan Omicrons, 3-1, in the 5th round, retained its grip of the solo lead with 11 points, and will go for the championship and the top P5000,000 cash prize against the NM Roel Abelgas-led Pacman Team A in the 7th and final round late in txhe evening of the same day.
Pacman Team A dumped Cotabato Province, 3.5-.5 in the sixth round behind Abelgas, NM Stewart Manaog and Eric Abanco to improve its mark to 10 points enough to land local boys to advance in a four-way logjam with NICA Team Ilonggo, Elegant Houses in Pampanga and Gensan Omicrons.
Also relying on its three lower boards, NICA Team Ilonggo turned back SLVP Chess Team, 3-1; Elegant Houses in Pampanga, with GM Darwin Laylo leading the charge, topped Novelty School of Chess-QC, 3-1, while Gensan Omicrons edged Team Larry Dumadag, 2.5-1.5.
As of thiw writing, NICA Team Ilonggo taking on GenSan Omicrons, while Elegant Houses of Pampanga was battling Bobby Pacquiao C (9 points) in the much-awaited tussle between GMs Gonzales and Laylo at the top board.
Aside from Bobby Pacquiao C, the other teams with nine points which remain in the hunt for the top three places after late Tuesday?s final round include Tagaytay City Chess Club, Tagaytay City and the Novelty Chess Club - Quezon City.
The individual play in the rich P2-million event will start Wdneday at 9:30 a.m.
Standings after six roundsL
Novelty Chess Club - Bulacan 11 points, NICA Team Ilonggo, Elegant Houses in Pampanga, Gensan Omicrons, Pacman Team A, 10; Tagaytay City Chess Club, Tagaytay City, Bobby Pacquiao C, Novelty Chess Club - Quezon City 9; SLVP Chess Team, Team Larry Dumadag, Pacman Negros Slasher, Dimachintucan Team, Cotabato Province, Roel Pacquiao Team 8; Guevarra Law Defenders, M. A. Yabut Team B/Pampanga, Babablacksheep,Nurjay, Pacman Team C, Novelty School of Chess-QC, Property Expert Realty ? B, Property Expert Realty ? A, BATT, Elman Team A 7.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Eddie Alinea.
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