Cavite dominates STCAA 2010, captures 3 of 4 divisions

BY: ANTHONY NAVARRO (Chesswindows Laguna Correspondent)

Ever since my sons started playing in school varsity and the Laguna Inter-town,I keep on hearing about the STCAA chess meet from players,parents and coaches. So when I learned that nearby Sta Rosa City was hosting this year’s STCAA (Southern Tagalog) event, it was an opportunity to visit and take a look.

STCAA 2010 took place Feb 22 through 24 at the Emmanuel Christian School in Bgy Malitlit, Sta Rosa City. It was ably organized and managed by the DepEd Laguna team of Mr. Nelson Umali and the STCAA team of arbiters were selected from the 14 participating provinces and cities. The STCAA finals is the culminating event for a series of lower level meets / elimination stages. Dependent whether the team is a province or a city, there are levels of eliminations, like interschool/area meets, district meets then the city/provincial level meet. Therefore, EACH STCAA qualifier is already a champion in his/her own right and it is just proper that I list them ALL down as part of this article. From the STCAA, 2 slots per Division will be earned to represent Region 4/ CALABARZON in the Palarong Pambansa in Tarlac in April.

For this year, the STCAA DepEd team, in consultation with the teams’ coaches and officials decided to adopt the ‘old’ format whereby the Board 1 champion will earn the first berth. The Board 1 1st runner-up will then play against the Board 2 champion for the 2nd berth. STCAA also did the 7 round Swiss system last year (which NCR meet did this year) but team officials had concerns over it, thus they reverted to the old format.

Before the event started, when I drive around places in Sta Rosa, there were all sorts of banners along the main roads and in Sta Rosa schools who served as host/quarters for the athletes and officials. I also realized it was not only for chess but for the basic sports in the DepEd’s charter. There was even an opening ceremony on Feb 21/Sunday at the SM Sta Rosa which I was not able to attend due to our own Caritas school’s hosting of the First Area Meet.

So on Feb 22/Monday afternoon I did an ocular to see the exact route going to the venue and advice my Laguna chess friends of an upcoming meeting with Ed/ FACM the following day. Lo and behold, I saw that Emmanuel Christian School actually had a significantly sized campus and even hosted the tennis event with its 2 tennis courts. The chess coaches/teachers,parents and officials had to patiently wait outside the playing venue in a waiting shed area. It was searing hot as El Nino raged, but we can see the usual patience and waiting that chess parents have endured both for past and present chess prodigies.

When the smoke of battle cleared on Wed/Feb 24 after the 5th round and playoff games, Cavite province emerged dominant, securing the championship in 3 Divisions – both Elem boys and girls and the Boys HS. Tanauan City secured the HS Girls plum. Cavite also had the 1st berths secured with their Board 1 Champions in the said 3 Divisions. Inputs from regular participants was that Cavite used to be a lower half placer but this year they stood proud. Reportedly, they prepared very hard and even got an IM-level trainer. But that will be part of a separate interview when I get the chance.

The secondary (HS) girls had a nail-biting, cardiac finish with round 5 pairings pitting Charmaine Perit (Sta Rosa – 3pts) vs Eloisa Sta Rita (Tanauan – 4pts) and Eva Marion Rico (Antipolo – 3pts) vs Michelle Yaon (Calamba – 3pts). In earlier rounds, Sta Rita had inflicted ex-Palaro (Elem) 2nd placer Yaon’s loss. First game to finish was Perit’s which she won thus she also had 4 points as Sta Rita. While the Rico vs Yaon game was still on-going, players shared it looked like Rico has some advantage and also a big time advantage,Michelle just had less than 5 minutes. If Michelle lost, from what I understood Perit would still not advance due to lower tiebreaks, for a 3 way tie with Sta Rita and Rico. If it was drawn,Perit secures the 1st Palaro slot via winner- over-the-other. So my chess friend Rey Yaon was waiting anxiously outside. It turned out Michelle was able to eke out the win, and so Rey hurriedly computed the tiebreak manually, the rest is history.

Meantime, let me recap the champions per category, the Palaro qualifiers and the list of qualifiers who are province/city champions :

ELEMENTARY LEVEL

ELEMENTARY BOYS – Board 1

1st Place
Elijah Maliam
Cavite Province

2nd Place
Carlo Caranyagan
Rizal Province

3rd Place
Ian Joseph Forcado
Santa Rosa City

ELEMENTARY BOYS – Board 2

1st Place
Kerbert Oquendo
Laguna Province

2nd Place
Highryll Tan
Cavite Province

3rd Place
Froilan Himaya
Batangas Province

ELEMENTARY GIRLS – Board 1

1st Place
Marie Antoinette San Diego
Cavite Province

2nd Place
Cristina Mendenilla
Laguna Province

3rd Place
Shania Mae Mendoza
Santa Rosa City

ELEMENTARY GIRLS – Board 2

1st Place
Camille Ceredon
Calamba City

2nd Place
Jemmah Rose Rosarda
Cavite Province

3rd Place
Claudyn Sabarra
Lipa City


SECONDARY LEVEL

SECONDARY BOYS – Board 1

1st Place
Mario Abragon
Cavite Province

2nd Place
John Nicholo Zacarias
Lipa City

3rd Place
Carl Angelo Perez
San Pablo City

SECONDARY BOYS – Board 2

1st Place
John Kenneth Fajilan
Calamba City

2nd Place
Patcheco Yngayo Jr
Rizal Province

3rd Place
Giovanne Cyrene Romero
Tanauan City

SECONDARY GIRLS – Board 1

1st Place
Michelle Yaon
Calamba City

2nd Place
Eloisa Sta Rita
Tanauan City

3rd Place
Charmaine Perit
Santa Rosa City

SECONDARY GIRLS – Board 2

1st Place
Gladys Hazelle Romero
Tanauan City

2nd Place
Michaela Concio
Calamba City

3rd Place
Cinderella Dimaandal
Batangas Province


PALARO QUALIFIERS (Hello Tarlac, Here We Come!!)

Elementary Boys
Elijah Maliam
Cavite Province

Carlo Caranyagan
Rizal Province

Elementary Girls
Marie Antoinette
San Diego Cavite Province

Cristina Mendenilla
Laguna Province

Secondary Boys
Mario Abragon
Cavite Province

John Nicholo Zacarias
Lipa City

Secondary Girls
Michelle Yaon
Calamba City

Eloisa Sta Rita
Tanauan City

ALL the Board 1 2nd placers trounced their Board 2 champion match-ups, which is an indication that the players assigned to Board 1 were the tougher ones.

For the record, days before STCAA 2010 started, having known mainly the Laguna players, I texted my ‘chessbookie’ bets to chess friend Rey Yaon as Marcellana/ Flores for Elem – Boys, Mendoza/San Diego for Elem – Girls, Nanola/Perez for HS Boys and Yaon / Perit for HS Girls. I only got San Diego and Yaon right for 2 out of 8 = 25% accuracy. Now I know better.

STCAA 2010 Chess Qualifiers

ELEMENTARY BOYS

PROVINCE / CITY / Board 1 / Board 2
Antipolo City / Gerome Romero / Janfred Godoy
Cavite Province / Elijah Maliam / Highryll Tan
Tanauan City / Ian Rogel Mago / Jose Lorenzo Lat
Rizal Province / Carlo Caranyagan / John Tristan Palacio
Calamba City / Jhoemar Mengiogarin / Aaron Ligpitan
Quezon Province / Noel Geronimo / Jose Dei Lex Manzanilla
Batangas City / Jesiah Mendoza / Ralph Angelo Lopez
Santa Rosa City / Ian Jasper Forcado / Mark James Marcellana
Lucena City / Marlon Quiopa / Julius Morquicillo
Laguna Province / Keneth Flores / Kerbert Oquendo
Lipa City / Marvin Dave Laylo / Mark Joseph Silang
Batangas Province / Johnree Morong / Froilan Himaya
San Pablo City / Lucky Aaron Aquino / Tomothy Joseph Chumacera
Cavite City / Czeth Mayano / Karl Aeysics Villarde

ELEMENTARY GIRLS
Laguna Province / Chsitina Ann Mendenilla / Lalaine Doroteo
Cavite Province / Marie Antionette San Diego /Jemmah Rose Rosarda
Calamba City / Erica Manaig / Camille Ceredon
Antipolo City / Ma. Luz Morada / Shenna Mae Revilloza
Rizal Province / Ynna Sophia Canape / Myrielle Alexis Jerusalem
Santa Rosa City / Shania Mae Mendoza / Kristine Andrea Estrivo
Quezon Province / Bianca Sadsad / Christine Mejino
Batangas City / Rica Catapang / Lovelyn Balasta
Batangas Province / Maria Gracia Mardo / Mary Joy Flores
Lucena City / Azra Garcia / Christine Joy Jael
Lipa City / Alexis Osena / Claudyn Sabaria
Tanauan City / Jessa Mae Cornel / Jeremie Bilog
Cavite City / Rose Ann Deocariza / Marie Angelica Ilustre
San Pablo City / Angelica Calampiano / Ma. Keiah Carmela


SECONDARY BOYS
Calamba City / Christian Nanola / John Kenneth Fajilan
Antipolo City / Jake Sarco / Ian Kenneth Relucio
Laguna Province / Lawrence Alexander Brosas/ Ces Jireh Salazar
Lipa City / John Nicholo Zacarias / Leo Joshua Pena
Rizal Province / Walt Allen Talan / Patcheco Yngayo Jr
San Pablo City / Carl Angelo Perez / Rhonnel Diamante
Cavite Province / Mario Abragon / Rodrigo Note
Quezon Province / Reinner Bamba / Leommel Saavedra
Batangas Province / Raymond Abanes / Rommel Asis
Santa Rosa City / Michael Tria / Giovanni Adrian Ascan
Cavite City / Virson Raquel / Francis Bugayong
Batangas City / Leonard Bee Libongcogo/ Ephraim Munar
Lucena City / Robin Llamas / Angelo Bearneza
Tanauan City / Aldwin Coranez / Giovanne Cyrene Romero

SECONDARY GIRLS
Laguna Province / Michella Concio / Rosleen Bonifacio
Rizal Province / Queen Lynn Reyes / Joanna Vanessa Barbosa
Cavite Province / Lucelle Bermundo / Cherry Mae Duque
Santa Rosa City / Charmaine Perit / Ruth De Guzman
Tanauan City / Eloisa Sta Rita / Gladys Hazelle Romero
Antipolo City / Eva Marion Rico / Arlene Ruiz
Batangas City / Melissa Ebora / Raf Camela Fernandez
Calamba City / Michelle Yaon / Michaela Concio
Quezon Province / Stephanie Bitoin / Karen Eroles
Batangas Province / Melanie Fuerte / Cinderella Dimaandal
San Pablo City / Therence Cervantes / IraVenesse Reyes
Lucena City / Joanna Veluya / Sheena Panghulan
Lipa City / Mary Joy Legaspi / Anjanette Macasaet
Cavite City / Nina Lenrey Espina / Joris Joyce Gustilo

Overall picture of the air conditioned playing venue at Emmanuel Christian School, it provided a quiet, controlled atmosphere conducive to good chess plays

DepEd Laguna Head Nelson Umali with STCAA arbiters from the participating provinces and cities.

Elem Girls, Marie Antoinette San Diego of Cavite Province getting 1st place, Cristina Mendenilla of Laguna Province getting 2nd place and Shania Mae Mendoza of Santa Rosa City getting 3rd place.

HS Girls showing Michelle Yaon of Calamba City getting 1st place medal, Eloisa Sta Rita of Tanauan City getting 2nd place and Charmaine Perit of Santa Rosa City taking 3rd place in the hotly contested Division. We can see more exciting action with the ascension into the HS ranks of Elem girl players like Shania Mendoza and possibly Marie San Diego of Cavite

HS Boys with Mario Abragon of Cavite Province securing 1st place,John Nicholo Zacarias of Lipa City getting 2nd place and Carl Angelo Perez of San Pablo City getting 3rd place, together with their Coaches

FACM founder Ed Pascual (center background) with the Sta. Rosa Team. The author, Anthony Navarro, is third fro left (in striped shirt with green)

Tony with Ed Pascual, NM Moreno and NM Carag