University of Santo Tomas retained the men’s title Saturday in the UAAP Season 85 Collegiate Chess Tournament at the FEU Tech Gym.
The Tiger Woodpushers, who have clinched their second straight championship as early as in the penultimate round, finished with 31.5 points after a 3-1 win over De La Salle.
“Pinakapuhunan ko lang talaga yung magandang pakisama rin sa player tulad ngayon andaming player na gustong pumasok (sa amin). Siguro nakikita nila yung way ng samahan, yung way ng pamamalakad sa team.” said UST coach Ronald Dableo of their secret to success during the past two seasons. “Sa totoo lang lahat magagagaling (sa team). Lahat kaya akong talunin. Kaya pinakanaging challenge ko talaga, paano ko papalaruin yung reserve eh.”
Julius Gonzales led the charge after nabbing the co-MVP title with University of the Philippines’s Fide Master Stephen Pangilinan.
“Halo-halo ang nararamdaman ko ngayon pero overall, masaya,” said Gonzales, a Board 1 silver medalist behind Pangilinan who took the gold medal.
UST concluded a dominant season run with three other members securing medals in their respective board assignments.
Brylle Vinluan and Lee Roi Palma both took home golds in Boards 3 and 4, respectively.
Antonio Almodal II added another gold in Board 5 while Mark Gerald Reyes completed UST’s medal haul with a bronze in Board 6.
UP, which has 24 points, finished second behind the exploits of Pangilinan, who did not concede any loss this season en route to the co-MVP award.
“Masaya ako sa MVP award although mas masaya sana kung nakuha namin yung championship pero babawi kami next season,” said Pangilinan.
Joining Gonzales and Pangilinan in the Board 1 medalists was Hans Ezekiel Olorisisimo who took the bronze.
Meanwhile, Far Eastern University took a 3-1 win over Ateneo de Manila University to secure the second runner-up trophy over De La Salle, which lost the podium due to inferior match points.
Both teams finished with 21 points apiece.
Ateneo’s Christopher Kis-Ing was proclaimed this season’s Rookie of the Year while also taking the gold medal in Board 2. He was joined by DLSU’s Cyril Telesforo (silver) and National Master John Merill Jacutina (bronze) in the Board 2 podium.
In Board 3, Daniel John Lemi followed Vinluan with a silver while Adamson University’s John Frederick Sunga took the bronze.
Season 84 Rookie of the Year Jan Daryl Batula of UP secured a silver in Board 4 along with National Master Lorenzo Cantela who won a bronze.
Almodal was followed by FEU’s Jarvey Labanda (silver) and DLSU’s Jester Sistoza (bronze) in Board 5.
The Board 6 medalists were led by Francis Guimalan of DLSU who won the gold medal while Matt Joseph Ramos (AdU) and Mark Gerald Reyes (UST) settled for silver and bronze, repsectively.
