UAAP chess wars

(Photo sourced from UAAP website).

BY: BOBBY ANG

(As published in Chess Piece, BusinessWorld, 04 April 2011)

2010-2011 UAAP Chess (Men)
9th Floor FEU Technology Building
Nicanor Reyes Sr Street
Sampaloc, Manila

Final Standings
1. FAR EASTERN UNIVERSITY (FEU), 45.5/56.0
Bd01 Lennon Hart Salgados, 9.5/14, Bd02 Sheider Nebato, 11.5/13, Bd03 Alfredo Rapanot, 7.5/10, Bd04 Antonio Chavez Jr, 8.0/10, Bd05 Kevin Mirano, 9.0/9
2. UNIVERSITY OF SANTO TOMAS (UST), 36.5/56
Bd01 NM Joey Albert Florendo, 9.0/12, Bd02 Gerald Ferriol, 8.0/14, Bd03 Patrick Erle Florendo, 7.0/13, Bd04 Jude Emil Fronda, 2.5/6, bd05 Steven Dacanay, 10.0/10, Bd06 John Nicholo Zacarias, 0.0/1
3. ADAMSON UNIVERSITY (AdU), 30.0/56
Bd01 Einnar Marc Reyes, 1.0/2, Bd02 Romie Lord Guerra, 4.4/14, bd03 Ferdinand Reyes Jr, 7.0/13, Bd04 Ali Guya, 8.5/14, Bd05 Daniel Casil Jr, 7.0/10, Bd06 Giovanni Cyrene Romero, 2.0/3
4. UNIVERSITY OF THE PHILIPPINES (UP), 26.0/56
Bd01 Leo Daylo Jr, 10.0/14, Bd02 Wilbert Pilarta, 4.4/14, Bd03 Marc Christian Nazario, 8.0/14, Bd04 Ywhen Richard Lababo, 1.0/5, Bd05 Simone del Rosario, 1.5/5, Bd06 Jerome Barretto, 1.0/4
5. ATENEO DE MANILA UNIVERSITY (ADMU), 24.5/56
Bd01 Joaquin Ignacio Davila, 1.5/9, Bd02 NM Alcon John Datu, 11.5/14, Bd04 Emmanuel Neil Plan, 1.0/9, Bd05 Gabriel Layugan, 5.5/13, Bd06 Nathan Matthew Sarigumba, 5.0/11
6.UNIVERSITY OF THE EAST (UE), 23.5/56
Bd01 Nelson Mariano III, 5.5/13, Bd02 Aaron Khrisna Rivas, 8.0/14, Bd03 Amram Ezra Rivas, 7.5/13, Bd04 John Paul Cruz, 0.5/7, Bd05 Ronald Allan Barcelon, 2.0/9
7. NATIONAL UNIVERSITY (NU), 21.5/56
Bd01 Mark Anthony Tanamor, 0.0/3, Bd02 benz McKenly Anastacio, 6.0/14, Bd03 Reggie Mel Santiago, 2.5/11, Bd04 Norvin Gravillo, 8.5/14, Bd05 Vincent Aldrin Yap, 2.0/5, Bd06 Jake Sarco, 2.5/9
8. DELA SALLE UNIVERSITY (DLSU), 16.5/56
Bd01 Jay Carlo Cruz, 0.0/1, Bd02 Reymar Joseph Lacsina, 0.0/1, Bd03 Franz Robert Grafil, 6.0/14, Bd04 Emmanuel Eumir Songcuya, 3.5/14, Bd05 Revin Briam Vasallo, 6.0/14, Bd06 Angelo Joshua Nuestro, 1.0/12

MEDAL AWARDEES
Most Valuable Player (MVP): Sheider Nebato FEU
Rookie of the Year: Lennon Hart Salgados FEU
Bd01 Gold, NM Joey Albert Florendo UST, 9.0/12
Silver, Leo Daylo Jr UP, 10.0/14
Bronze, Lennon Hart Salgados FEU, 9.5/14
Bd02 Gold, Sheider Nebato FEU, 11.5/13
Silver, NM Alcon John Datu ADMU, 11.5/14
Bronze, Gerald Ferriol UST, 8.0/14
Bd03 Gold, Alfredo Rapanot, FEU, 7.5/10
Silver, Amram Ezra Rivas UE, 7.5/13
Bronze, Marc Christian Nazario UP, 8.0/14
Bd04 Gold, Antonio Chavez Jr FEU, 8.0/10
Silver, Ali Guya AdU, 8.5/14
Bronze, Norvin Gravillo NU, 8.5/14
Bd05 Gold, Steven Dacanay UST, 10.0/10
Silver, Kevin Mirano FEU, 9.0/9
Bronze, Daniel Casil AdU, 7.0/10
Bd06 Gold, Nathan Matthew Sarigumba ADMU, 5.0/11
Silver, Jake Sarco NU, 2.5/9
Bronze, Angelo Joshua Nuestro DLSU, 1.0/12

Way back in 2000 the Philippine Chess Society organized the Equitable Card Invitational Chess Tournament -- this was where Bong Villamayor got his third and final GM norm. It was held in the Ramon Magsaysay Auditorium of the Social Security System (SSS) and featured top-of-the-line conditions -- sensory boards to display the moves played on board instantly on computer monitors which are in turn flashed on giant screens, interface with digital clocks so that even the times are shown to the public, etc.

This was the first time sensory boards were used in Asia, and I remember that FIDE Deputy President for Asia, Dato Tan Chin Nam of Malaysia, even flew in to see how it is used.

And we had our arbiters trained on how to direct tournaments. A year or so later there was this big team competition in Indonesia and we sent arbiters to help. During the tournament one of the directors asked Ignatius Leong, the Chief Arbiter of the event, why is it that whereas all the other arbiters were studiously going around the tables watching over the proceedings, the Filipino arbiters were all standing at the sidelines. Mr. Leong’s answer made me swell with pride. He said that the Filipinos were all standing at the sidelines because that is the way they are trained, and that is the correct way. From that vantage point they can see everything happening and will approach only when called for or in panic time.

Yes, our level or organization used to have that good a reputation in the region.
But I digress.

The Far Eastern University was designated as the official host of the UAAP this year, and they did something completely unexpected -- under the stewardship of GM Jayson Gonzales, and fully supported by the school administration, FEU elevated the chess competition to international standards.

What do I mean?

The playing hall was revamped to allow for separate booths for the teams, more arbiters, usherettes, giant boards to display the top games, and digital clocks were used for the first time (in the UAAP, that is). The new clocks allowed for the use of time increments -- each player was given 90 minutes for the entire game with the addition of 30 seconds increment for each move executed. This eliminated the thud-and-blunder of panic time.

The only thing they lacked were:

Analysis rooms for the winners to show their games to the public (including press)
Sensory boards and projectors to display the games, and Interfaces for the boards and PCs so that tournament bulletins can be generated after every round

But maybe I dream too much -- for what has been accomplished is already very impressive.

Philippine Junior Champion Paul Bersamina was supposed to play for the FEU squad but decided to skip one year to concentrate on his chess career. This did not prevent the Tamaraws, though, from annexing their fifth straight championship. There was no doubt that they deserved it, for the Morayta-based chessers won every single match -- usually by a huge margin.

Their new recruit from Cagayan de Oro, Lennon Hart Salgados, proved to be a powerhouse and ably held down top board while the Philippines’ Under-18 champion Sheider Nebato was on board 2 and won gold with 11.5/13.

De La Salle University had a nightmare tournament. Remember, this was the team which dominated UAAP for six straight years in the first half of the new millennium. This year though, with the departure of their top three players Paulo Bautista, Joseph Turqueza and Emmanuel Emperado, there was no one to take up the cudgels and they crashed to last place. Almost unheard of.

Let me show you one of the most exciting contests in the event.
Ferriol, Gerald A -- Nebato, Sheider T [B06]
2010 -- 11 UAAP Chess (SENIORS) FEU (1), 08.01.2011
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