NCAA chess war

BY: BOBBY ANG

(As published in Chess Piece, BusinessWorld, 22 November 2010)

2010 NCAA Chess Team Championships (Seniors) Final Standings

1. DLS-College of Saint Benilde (DLS-CSB), 55/64. bd01 Joel A. Pimentel Jr 13.5/15, bd02 Jimson Bitoon 10.5/13, bd03 Narquingden Reyes 10.5/13, bd04 Narquingel Reyes, 13/15, bd05 Jesse Abucejo, 7.5/8

2. Colegio de San Juan de Letran (CSJL), 51/64. bd01 Chester Brian Guerrero 13/16, bd02 Ivan Gil Biag 15/16, bd03 Jesus Benjamin Lising 13/16, bd04 Jesus Alfonso Datu 6.5/11, bd05 Nino Datu 1.5/3, bd06 Kerby Acoba 2/2

3. San Sebastian College-Recoletos (SSC-R), 49.5/64. bd01 Jayson Mercado 12/16, bd02 John Albert Bongon 12/16, bd03 Alexis Emil Maribao 14/16, bd04 Nigel Keruvin Valenzuela 6/8, bd05 Louie Salvador 5.5/8

4. Mapua Institute of Technology (MIT), 26/64. bd01 Carlo Ballesteros 2/10, bd02 Ergin Nigel Pelayo 5.5/14, bd03 Francis Ligon 7/15, bd04 Steaven Crenz Fulcher 7/15, bd05 Whiz Anthony Noche 3.5/9, bd06 John Chester Isidoro 1/1

5. Emilio Aguinaldo College (EAC), 25/64. bd01 Reinier John Bamba 10.5/16, bd02 Macwaine Molina 5.5/16, bd03 Brylle Genio Tan 2.5/16, bd04 Brylle Salcedo 6.5/16

6. San Beda College (SBC), 24.5/64. bd01 Joseph Navarro 9/16, bd02 Juan Claudio Castro 8/16, bd03 Jared Cruz 6.5/16, bd04 Ian Ferdinand Chua 1/16

7. University of Perpetual Help System Dalta (UPHS-D), 22.5/64. bd01 Ryan James Cruz 0/5, bd02 Juan Carlo de Guzman 2/9, bd03 Mark dela Cruz 4/10, bd04 Kris Angelique Melicano 4.5/13, bd05 Aurora Kim Dantes 6.5/15, bd06 Jenwin Alconcher 5.5/12

8. Arellano University (AU), 19/64. bd01 Vergielyn Bautista 0/6, bd02 Ysmae Karim 2.5/13, bd03 Wilfred Vergel Neri 5/15, bd04 Vangielyn Bautista 3/14, bd05 John Kristofferson de Leon 8.5/16

9. Jose Rizal University (JRU), 15.5/64. bd01 Argel Usi 1.5/13, bd02 Ryann Paul Grana 2/11, bd03 Caruncho Bernardo 1/12, bd04 Leonard Alberca 2.5/8, bd05 Edmil Mallari 7.5/14, bd06 Denice Ruby Vittorio 1/6

Gold Medals:

board 1 Joel Pimentel Jr DLS-CSB 13.5/15

board 2 Ivan Gil Biag CSJL 15/16

board 3 Alexis Emil Maribao SSC-R 14/16

board 4 Narquingel Reyes DLS-CSB 13/15

board 5 Jesse Abucejo DLS-CSB 7.5/8

board 6 Jenwin Alconcher UPHSD 5.5/12

MVP: Joel Pimentel, Jr. DLS-CSB COACH OF THE YEAR: FM Fernie Donguines DLS-CSB

Last year’s NCAA tournament was a bit weird. The College of St. Benilde won the first and second rounds, and led the cumulative standings by a mile -- they had 52.5 points against the second placer Letran’s 45.0. They had thoroughly stamped their domination of the event, but according to the rules the tournament was not yet over.

There was a semifinal round where no. 1 (St. Benilde) had to play no. 4 (Mapua), and no. 2 (Letran) played no. 3 (San Sebastian). Both higher-rated teams duly won, but in the finals (St. Benilde vs. Letran), which was only a single match event, disaster struck. Chester Guerrero (Letran) upset Jimson Bitoon (St. Benilde) on top board to tie their match 2-2.

Guerrero, Chester Brian C -- Bitoon, Jimson V. [D30] 2009 NCAA Chess (Seniors) Finals Cyberzone, SM Manila (1.1), 01.10.2009
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The significance of this game was that, based on the rules, in case of a tie, the result of top board will be the deciding factor, so to the shock of everybody Letran was declared the winner.

This year, the rules were modified into a saner version -- the tournament would be run via two rounds, and the champion of the first round will play the champion of the second round to determine the winner. No more semifinals and finals.

The College of St. Benilde atoned for last year’s failure by once again dominating the field and winning both rounds.

The only drama occurred in the 11th round, when St. Benilde faced Letran. Before the start of each match the team captains are supposed to send to the chief arbiter a sealed envelope with their lineup for the day. Only when they are about to start will the players know who they are going to play against. In a fit of stupidity the St. Benilde team wrote that their lineup will be:

board 1 Garry Kasparov board 2 Magnus Carlsen board 3 Viswanathan Anand board 4 Veselin Topalov

They perhaps thought that the inclusion in their team of 3 world champions plus the world’s highest rated player is funny, but the arbiter did not and he reported this to the NCAA Commission, which decided to censure the team for making a mockery out of the proceedings.

The handwriting on the lineup clearly belonged to Narquingden Reyes (their board 3 player), and he "admitted" that the joke was his alone and did not involve the team. He was forfeited against Letran causing St. Benilde to lose 1.5-2.5 to their archrival and got himself suspended for the rest of the tournament.

Anyway it did not matter because the St. Benilde team was merciless in the closing rounds and no other team could catch up.

St. Benilde’s top board FIDE Master (FM) Joel Pimentel from Bacolod City was on fire in the tournament -- he was unbeaten and only allowed three draws for 13.5/15, a 90% score! Pimentel was adjudged as the Most Valuable Player (MVP) for the tournament. This will go very well with the gold medal he won four years ago in the ASEAN Under-14 Chess Championship.

Pimentel, Joel Jr A -- Mercado, Jayson V [A67] 2010 NCAA Chess Seniors SM City, Manila (4), 29.07.2010
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The best attacking game I saw in the tournamentis a product of Alexis Emil Maribao from San Sebastian:

Lising, Jesus Benjamin M -- Maribao, Alexis Emil F [E05] 2010 NCAA Chess Seniors SM City, Manila (12), 12.08.2010
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