Letran Knights, SSC Staglets win NCAA chess titles

By: Marlon Bernardino

Championship results:

(Senior division)

Colegio San Juan de Letran versus College of ST. Benilde (2-2)

Letran captured the title via the-result-of-board-one tie-break rule in a 2-2 score.

(Junior division)

San Sebastian College-Recoletos beat Colegio San Juan de Letran, 3-1.

COLEGIO San Juan de Letran and San Sebastian College-Recoletos won the senior’s and junior’s chess title respectively in contrasting fashion in the Finals of the 85^th season of National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Chess Team Championship on Thursday at the 5^th floor of SM Manila.

The Letran Knights, already with two losses at boards 2 and 3 against the heavily favored and last year’s champion College of Saint Benilde (CSB) of coach Fide Master Fernie Donguines, came back from the grave to score a thrilling 2 wins at boards 1 and 4, winning the crown via the-result-of-board-one tie-break rule in a 2-2 score.

Jesus Benjamin Lising of Letran defeated CSB’s Andrew Delfin in a tense endgame brawl on board 4 before Chester Brian Guerrero sealed the win for the Knight at board one versus Jimson Bitoon, younger brother of IM Richard Bitoon. Guerrero, adjudged Senior’s Most Valuable Player, won a piece but needed to save two seconds of his remaining time to win via time forfeit.

“The Letran Knights (Seniors) have shown that the toughest team can win the title against the strongest team. Despite being blanked 4-0 by St. Benilde in the 2^nd round robin and being 2 points down in the Finals, the Letranites played rough and tough to steal the crown from the Mighty Blazers. We never gave up, we never gave in… After five years of waiting and trying, Letran finally wins the Senior Chess Championship.” Said National Master Roland Joseph Perez, head coach of Letran.

Meanwhile, the determined SSC Staglets won the junior crown against 2008 NCAA junior titlist Letran Squires 3-1. SSC’s Arvie Jongko won against Woman National Master Cherry Ann Mejia when the latter failed to reach the prescribed 20 moves in the first hour.

Mejia forgot she only has nineteen moves after an hour because of an erasure on her score sheet, giving the full point to Jongko on board 2. SSC’s John Mark Dimaliwat destroyed his over confident nemesis Christian Dave Cabida on board 4 while teammate Kristian Paolo won over Mikee Charlene Suede on board 3. Woman National Master Jan Jodilyn Fronda gave the lone point for the Squires against Aldous Coronel to prevent a possible shout-out loss on board 1.

“Masayang-masaya ako kasi nag champion muli ang Staglets (SSC-R) sa junior division, talagang nagbunga ang preparasyon namin kasi super lakas at mga beteranong player ang Letran Squires,” said SSC-R mentor NM Homer Cunanan, who honed the skills of GM Darwin Laylo and GM-elect Ronald Dableo, the former 1-2 punch of Staglets in the 90’s.

Jan Nigel Galan of CSB-La Salle Greenhills High School (LSGH) captured the coveted gold medal in board 1 of the NCAA junior division. The LSGH, playing under the banner of head coach NM Erwin Carag settled over-all third for the bronze medal losing to Letran Squires in the cross-over semi-final round.University of Perpetual Help System Dalta of coach Ferdie Reyes, on the other hand settled over-all fourth, bowing to eventual champion Staglets in the final four.