New Chess prodigy in town
By Marlon Bernardino
PhilBoxing.com
Thu, 22 Sep 2022
There is a new chess prodigy in town! Nika Juris Nicolas, a 10-year-old girl from Pasig City emerged as champion in the Under 11 Girls of the National Youth and Schools Chess Championships Grand Finals or NYSCC held September 17 - 21, 2022 at Dapitan City Cultural Complex in Zamboanga del Norte.
The NYSCC is a national tournament conducted under the auspices of the Philippine Sports Commission, Philippine Olympic Committee and the National Chess Federation of the Philippines. It brings together the best chess players under 17 years of age all over the Philippines who have successfully hurdled the Pre-eliminations, Eliminations and Semi-Finals.
The Philippine chess community was at awe when the 10-year-old chess prodigy Nika Juris Nicolas defeated veteran chess players from all over the Philippines in the Grand Finals. Representing Pasig City and her school OB Montessori Greenhills, Nika bested chess players from all over the Philippines in the Under 11 Girls Division, under the tutelage of her coaches Lourecel Hernandez Ecot, Von Francisco and Raul Damuy. Her win will entitle her to a Woman Candidate National Master Title.
Nika’s chess prowess was first noticed in the international community when she scored the most number of points for the Philippine Team of Girls Under 10 in the ASEAN Age Group Chess Championships held last April 2022, leading the Philippine Team to a Bronze Medal. She placed 12th best chess player overall for girls under 10 in the ASEAN, with the first to eleventh places taken by players hailing from Vietnam.
Nika also placed First Runner-Up in the previously concluded National Age Group Chess Championships Grand Finals or NAGC held last July 19-24 in Malolos, Bulacan, besting other seasoned chess players in the Girls Under 10 Division from Bulacan, Zamboanga, Iloilo, Cavite, Batangas and Dipolog.
Nika is the daughter of lawyer-broadcaster Atty. Nikki de Vega and Atty. Karlo Nicolas.-Marlon Bernardino -
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