FM Castellano rules 5th leg of PACE Active Open Chess

BY: MARLON BERNARDINO

FIDE MASTER Christopher Castellano of Cainta, Rizal settled for a truce against Jonathan Bayron of La Union after 30 moves of Scandinavian Defense using the disadvantageous black pieces in the seventh and final round to emerged over-all champion in the 5th leg of Philippine Academy for Chess Excellence (PACE) Active Open Chess Championship, which ended Sunday night at the PACE headquarters , 2nd Floor 56 Mindanao Ave., Project 6, Quezon City.

Castellano, a U.P. Music Tenor graduate scored unbeaten 6.5 points in six outings and a draw to enroute the coveted chess title, top prize of P4,000 plus elegant trophy courtesy of PACE founding head two-time Olympian GM Jayson Gonzales and supervised by NAPCA head national arbiter Boyet Tardecilla.

Among the Philippine Artist Champion Castellano victims that includes Fide Master Raymond Salcedo, Sheider Nebato, Mervin Lumidao, National Master Julius Sinangote, Ferdinand Palermo and Raul Villate.

Bayron and Lumidao settled for a tied for 2nd to 3rd placers with 5.5 points each. Rounding up to the top nine finishes with 5 points each are Nebato, Roel Abelgas, Dandel Fernandez, Sonny Dela Rosa, NM Mirabeau Maga and Jose Aquino Jr.

Roberto Biron scored 4.5 pointers for the top 10 spot after the tie break points was applied, the same output of Ritchie Evangelista, Jerad Docena and John Ranel Morazo.