For the first time since Season 69, powerhouse Far Eastern University failed to capture a single title in the standard event of the UAAP Season 88 Chess Championships — a rare heartbreak for the perennial contenders.
And so, even with her third consecutive MVP award, the moment felt bittersweet for Woman FIDE Master Ruelle Canino, who vowed to lead FEU’s fightback in the blitz event of the UAAP Chess Championships early next year.
“Kaya nga po ngayon mas eager kaming manalo ngayon. Gusto naming bumawi nang sobra kasi nga defending champions kami sa standard tapos natalo,” she said, eyeing to dethrone National University Nazareth School, which bagged the inaugural blitz title last season.
Canino admitted that pressure got the better of the four-peat-seeking girls’ squad from Diliman, which settled for a third-place finish.
“Iba talaga yung pressure pag defending champions. Andun yung expectation ng lahat ng tao pero at least po ginawa naman namin yung best namin and bawi na lang kami,” Canino explained.
(C) UAAP Season 88 Media Team
She emphasized that her priority has always been the team’s success, making the MVP award something she could not fully celebrate.
“Bonus na po sa akin yung MVP pero I know na ginawa naman namin yung best namin and nag-contribute lahat. Ang sinasabi na lang namin sa sarili namin is tapos na yung laro and magfocus na lang kami sa next tournament na Blitz and dun kami babawi,” the 17-year-old chesser said.
The Cagayan de Oro prodigy added that the pressure of completing a four-peat took a toll on the team’s mentality — something she hopes to address in the blitz event as team captain.
“Parang nagkulang po kasi kami sa will para manalo. Napapansin ko lang din po sa teammates ko na pressured sila masyado tapos parang wala silang tiwala sa sarili. Kaya as a captain po parang ine-encourage ko talaga sila na mag-step up kasi last year ko na din po as high school player,” Canino said.
With the blitz event serving as her last dance in UAAP high school chess, Canino hopes to leave a lasting legacy before moving up to the women’s division next season.
