By EDDIE G. ALINEA
GENERAL SANTOS City – Elegant Houses in Pampanga dealt top seed Bobby Pacquiao Team C a 4-0 devastation in the 7th and final round to crown itself the Bobby D. Pacquiao Random Chess Festival 2016 team champion at the Trade Hall of the SM Mall here.
Grandmaster Darwin Laylo, playing with the defensive black pieces outmaneuvered fellow GM Jayson Gonzales on Board 1, while teammates Edsel Montoya, Norman Longias and Gerry Milan completed the Pampangueno demolition job with victories over Alfredo Rapanot, Kevin Mirano and Elnathan Emilio respectively, to complete the team’s remarkable comeback in the last two rounds that earned for them a total 12 points.
Laylo’s squad actually ended u in a tie for first place after the final play with Team NICA Ilonggo and Pacman Team A, but stole the title via a superior quotient at tiebreak.
Team NICA Ilonggo nosed out Gensan Omicrons, 2.5-1.5, while 13th seed Pacman Team A toppled no. 3 favorite and erstwhile solo leader Novelty Chess Club-Bulacan, 2.5-1.5 to likewise bring their total to 12 points.
Per tournament rules, the top three teams split the combined first to third place prizes of P960,000 and took home P330,000 each.
Novelty Chess Club-Bulacan dropped into a tie for fourth to sixth places with Tagaytay City and Novelty Chess Club-Quezon with 11 points apiece, while SLVP Chess Team, Gensan Omicrons and Pacman Negros Slasher ended up seventh, eighth and ninth, respectively with 10 points each.
Laylo came out, too, as the top board 1 campaigner based on performance ratings (6.5 points) followed by Ellan Asuela of NICA Team Ilonggo (7) in Board 2 and Kelly Rancap (7) and Louie Salvador (6.5) both of Novelty Chess-Bulacan in Board 3 and 4, respectively.
Laylo went home with an additional P6,000, while Asuela, Rancap and Salvador took P5,000, P4,000 and P3,000, respectively.
Meanwhile, Grandmaster Joey Antonio and International Masters Oliver Dimakiling, Ronald Dableo, Rolando Nolte and Haridas Pascua easily won their first two games to take the early lead after two rounds together with several other bidders in the random rapid (20 minutes) individual event which started Wednesday.
Antonio beat unrated Menandro Redor, Dimakiling topped Mavin Ting, Dableo defeated young Fide Master Alekhine Nouri, Nolte whacked Mohmin Morsalim while Pascua manhandled another young player in Jerish John Velarde.
IM Yves Ranola, however, was upset by Francis Glenn Panes, while IM Chito Garma could only salvage a draw against untitled Kelly Rancap’
Final Standings
Elegant Houses in Pampanga, NICA Team Ilonggo, Pacman Team A, 12 points; Novelty Chess Club – Bulacan,Tagaytay City, Novelty Chess Club-QC, 11; SLVP Chess Team, Gensan Omicrons, Pacman Negros Slasher 10; Guevarra Law Defenders, Tagaytay City Chess Club, Babablacksheep, Property Expert Realty-A, BATT, Bobby Pacquiao C, Elman Team A 9; Team Larry Dumadag, Novelty School of Quezon City, Property Expert Realty-B, Pangasinan CHess League, TARAKA Chess Team – Lanao Sur, Cotabato Province, Dimachintucan Team, Aton Brothers, Roel Pacquiao Team. Gold Crest MArketing Corp 8