Labog rules Okada Manila Chess Tournament
By Marlon Bernardino
PhilBoxing.com
Mon, 27 Apr 2026
National Master (NM) Jan Clifford Labog won the Manny Pacquiao Chess Philippines Invitational Final Match in Okada Manila, defeating International Master (IM) Ronald Dableo, 2-0, on Sunday, April 26,2026.
He took home P10,000 top prize plus worth P10,000 gems of Kalaro in the 2-day (April 25-26, 2026) event, jointly organized by John Salcedo, Jonas Silvano and Kalaro Founder/CEO Jun Lasco Jr .
The even was supported by Senator Manny D. Pacquiao, Games and Amusement Board (GAB) Chairman Atty. Francisco J. Rivera and National Chess Federation of the Philippines (NCFP/ Chairman/President Cong. Prospero "Butch" A. Pichay Jr.
Earlier, Dableo beat FIDE Master David Elorta, 2-1, to arrange a titular showdown with Labog, who brought down FIDE Master Alekhine Nouri, 2-1.
“I’m just happy it’s done now,” said the 20-year-old Labog, a 2nd Year College Student at University of Santo Tomas Manila.
"I honestly never imagined I would become the champion. Standing alongside the other three finalists—each one a highly respected and seasoned chess master—was already an honor in itself. They are players I’ve always looked up to, and to think that I would come out ahead of all of them still feels unreal. This victory is something I truly did not expect, and I remain deeply humbled and grateful for the experience." he added.
The Solano, Nueva Vizcaya native Labog's local and international chess campaigns are supported by the online Arena Grandmaster (AGM) Glory Grace Branzuela.
It shall be recalled that Labog has won the gold medal in the Under-2000 section standard chess category at the Asian Amateur Chess Championship in Hongkong, China last August 9, 2025.
His performance in Hong Kong, which included seven wins and two draws, secured him the Candidate Master (CM) title plus the top prize of 12,000 Hong Kong dollars. (Marlon Bernardino)
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