UAAP women’s chess

BY: BOBBY ANG

(As published in Chess Piece, BusinessWorld, 23 April 2010)

UAAP Chess (Women’s)
2009-2010 Season

CHAMPION: FAR EASTERN UNIVERSITY (FEU), 34/48. Bd01 Ronna Reigner C. Senora 3.5/7, Bd02 Jedara R. Docena 9.5/12, Bd03 Rulp Ylem M. Jose 10/12, Bd04 Jenny Rose C. Palomo 7.5/11, Bd05 Lovelyn O. Medina 3.5/6, Bd06 Angelina D. Mortos 0/0. Coach: GM Jayson Gonzales

2nd PLACE: ATENEO DE MANILA UNIVERSITY (AdMU), 31.5/48. Bd01 Chardine Cheradee P. Camacho 11/12, Bd02 Mira Corinne B. Caoile 0/0, Bd03 Ianah Maarie O. Olonan 0/0, Bd04 Katrina B. Edaniol 5.5/12, Bd05 Kristine Mae D Mariano 5/12, Bd06 Nikki P. Capinpin 10/12. Coach: IM Idelfonso Datu

3rd PLACE: DE LA SALLE UNIVERSITY (DLSU) 29.5/48. Bd01 Dominique R. Layugan 6.5/12, Bd02 Aices P. Salvador 8.5/12, Bd03 Akiko Charmaine M. Suede 10.5/12, Bd04 Susan Grace T. Neri 4/12, Bd05 Darlene Angelin Co 0/0. Coach: Randy Segarra, Asst. Coach: Rainier Labay

4th PLACE: UNIVERSITY OF THE PHILIPPINES (UP) 22.5/48. Bd01 Rida C. Young 7.5/12, Bd02 Cheyzer Crystal J. Mendoza 2.5/9, Bd03 Krizza Lyn C. Abasolo 4/10, Bd04 Marvee B. Exconde 5/11, Bd05 Ezra Joy R. Templonuevo 2.5/3, Bd06 Leoneriz Mir M. Jose 1/3. Coach: NM Leonardo Carlos, Asst. Coach: WIM Catherine Perena

5th PLACE: NATIONAL UNIVERSITY (NU) 20/48. Bd01 Paula Angeline P. San Antonio 0/3, Bd02 Jollibee O. Sidaya 6/12, Bd03 Hiezel S. Coraje 7.5/12, Bd04 Crizelle C. Geron 4/12, Bd05 Joannah Marie M. Saltorio 0/2, Bd06 Shielo Marie Y. Ucol 2.5/7. Coach: Jose A. Aquino Jr.

6th PLACE: UNIVERSITY OF SANTO TOMAS (UST) 19/48. Bd01 Camille Jol P. Silvestre 0/3, Bd02 Rizia Arah A. Rustia 0/8, Bd03 Rohini Dasi B. Vergara 4/11, Bd04 Carina Lauren M. Lumacad 9/12, Bd05 Rizza Mae D. Dizon 2.5/6, Bd06 Vianca Camille P. Canada 3.5/8. Coach: IM Ronald Dableo

7th PLACE: UNIVERSITY OF THE EAST (UE) 11.5/48. Bd01 Kathleen Ann R. Mendoza 3.5/8, Bd02 Mersky S. Peque 2.5/12, Bd03 Chrizel D. Yson 0.5/10, Bd04 Janine Krishna a. Saquing 1/6, Bd05 Jessica S. Visca 4/12, Bd06 Katrina M. Villanueva. Coach: WIM Christine Rose Mariano.

INDIVIDUAL AWARDS:
Most Valuable Player (MVP). Chardine Cheradee P. Camacho (AdMU)
Rookie of the Year: Chardine Cheradee P. Camacho (AdMU)
Gold Medalists:
Bd01 Chardine Cheradee P. Camacho (AdMU)
Bd02 Jedara R. Docena (FEU)
Bd03 Akiko Charmaine M. Suede (DLSU)
Bd04 Carina Lauren M. Lumacad (UST)
Bd05 Lovelyn O. Medina (FEU)
Bd06 Nikki P. Capinpin (AdMU)

FEU won 10 matches drew one (vs. Ateneo) and lost one (vs. La Salle) and was never really in trouble to win the distaff side of the UAAP chess competition.
Long-time BW readers know that this writer has never been a big fan of women’s chess. My experience has been that no matter how hard you train them when they reach the age of 16 they discover the four-lettered word LOVE and forget everything. So what’s the use?

It is also true, however, that our Asian neighbors have zeroed in on our weakness and have mandated in Asian and ASEAN competitions that country matches should have the obligatory women’s boards and that is where they beat us.
So, like it or not we have to strengthen our women’s chess, and the UAAP is exactly where we have to do it.

Chardine Camacho is the highest-rated woman player in the country today and the only Woman FIDE Master (WFM) playing in the UAAP. She fully lived up to her billing by scoring 10 wins and two draws on top board to win both the Rookie of the Year and the Most Valuable Player trophies. I would dare say that the top players of FEU (Docena) and DLSU (Salvador) were assigned to second board to avoid her.

Chardine has a solid unspectacular style which gets takes advantage of all her opponents’ mistakes. Sometimes they think they are winning but actually they are not:

Camacho, Chardine Cheradee -- Mendoza, Kathleen Ann R [C17]
2009-10 UAAP Chess [women] Tan Yan Kee Bldg., UST (2), 16.01.2010
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And sometimes they resist as hard as they can but Chardine keeps finding ways to break through.

Camacho, Chardine Cheradee -- Young, Rida C [B07]
2009-10 UAAP Chess [women) Tan Yan Kee Bldg., UST (10), 13.02.2010
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La Salle’s Aices Salvador was the second highest-rated player in the UAAP and a veteran of international competition, having represented the country in the world junior championships and ASEAN youth competitions, to say nothing of the Asian Intercontinental championships. She has had a long layoff though and the rust showed, for example in the following game she engages Jedara Docena in a thrilling slugfest, but her usual tactical alertness was nowhere in evidence and she could not survive the attack.

Salvador, Aices -- Docena, Jedara [B22]
2009-10 UAAP Chess [women) Tan Yan Kee Bldg., UST (5), 24.01.2010
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I have not had time to go through all the games in the UAAP. May I therefore extend this invitation to the UAAP chess players: if you played a good game and would like to share it with our readers please e-mail me at the address given below, together with your comments. On another matter, anyone who wants a copy of the UAAP can also just e-mail me I will send you a pgn file.

Oh! One more thing. I have set up my own forum at chessgames.com -- the Web address is http://www.chessgames.com/~bang. If you have comments and suggestions on my chess columns here then feel free to share.