Defending champions and traditional powerhouses set the tone on Friday as the UAAP Season 88 Collegiate and High School Blitz Chess Championships opened at the Adamson Gym, with University of Santo Tomas, De La Salle University, and Far Eastern University-Diliman all making strong early statements across divisions.
In the men’s division, defending champion University of Santo Tomas and De La Salle University both stayed undefeated through three rounds to emerge as early semifinalists, finishing the opening day with six match points apiece.
The Male Woodpushers opened their title-retention bid with a 2.5–1.5 win over the University of the Philippines, before sweeping Ateneo de Manila University, 4–0, and Far Eastern University, 3–1.
La Salle matched that pace with a steady run of its own, edging Adamson University, 2.5–1.5, then dismantling UP, 3.5–0.5, before closing the day with a 3–1 victory over archrival Ateneo.
Far Eastern University stayed in the hunt with four match points, highlighted by dominant wins over Ateneo, 3.5–0.5, and Adamson, 4–0, while UP rounded out the top four after a 3.5–0.5 win over Adamson.
(C) UAAP Season 88 Media Team
In the women’s division, De La Salle University likewise asserted early control, sweeping all three matches to collect six match points and seize the solo lead.
The Lady Woodpushers opened with a 2.5–1.5 win over reigning classical champion National University, followed by dominant 4–0 victories over UP and 3–1 against Adamson.
Far Eastern University kept pace with five match points despite a bye in Round 2, posting wins over UST, 3.5–0.5, and NU, 2.5–1.5, to remain within striking distance.
UST and Ateneo remained in the chase with three match points each, while NU struggled to recover from early setbacks.
Round 4 resumes Saturday, with semifinal and playoff berths still within reach for several teams.
Momentum also swung toward Far Eastern University-Diliman in the high school competitions, as the Baby Tamaraws and Lady Baby Tamaraws both emerged as early leaders after unbeaten opening-day campaigns.
(C) UAAP Season 88 Media Team
Coming off runner-up finishes in the classical event earlier this season, FEU-Diliman’s boys’ squad dominated from the start, sweeping Ateneo High School and De La Salle Zobel with 4–0 shutouts before completing a perfect day with a 2.5–1.5 win over Adamson University. The results secured their place in the finals with six match points.
(C) UAAP Season 88 Media Team
The Lady Baby Tamaraws also delivered a strong showing in the girls’ division, finishing the day with five match points after two wins and a draw. They opened with a 2–2 stalemate against University of Santo Tomas, then defeated National University Nazareth School and Adamson University to stay in contention for a semifinal berth.
UST remained close behind in the girls’ standings with five match points, fueled by wins over Ateneo and La Salle, while NUNS followed in third with four.
In the boys’ division, UST also positioned itself for a playoff spot, sitting second with four match points after victories over Ateneo and Adamson.
Only the top two teams will advance to the semifinals.
Adamson climbed to fourth in the girls’ standings after defeating La Salle, while Ateneo and La Salle shared points after drawing their matchup.
Round 4 action in both the collegiate and high school divisions resumes on Saturday, with playoff and semifinal spots still up for grabs as the race tightens across all fronts.
