THE ATENEO Men’s and Women’s Chess teams competed in the seventh round of the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) Season 80 Chess tournament on Saturday, March 10. The Blue and Lady Eagles were taken down by National University (NU) and the University of Santo Tomas (UST), respectively, at the Quadricentennial Pavilion in UST.
Lady Eagles
The Lady Eagles failed to add a point to their season score as Round 7 ended, falling to UST at a 0-4 finish.
On boards one and two, Lady Eagles Ana De Duque and Minella Sandoval fell to UST’s Highzzy Manaloto and Cyamir Villanueva, respectively. Board three featured Aryanne De Ocampo against UST’s Mary Anne Alcantara, who prevailed to put Ateneo down 0-3.
In Ateneo’s final stand, Jill Feliciano took on Shayxanthe Guico. However, Guico bested Feliciano and sent the Lady Eagles home at a devastating 0-4 score.
Blue Eagles
The gloomy results continued for the Blue Eagles as they were shutout by NU and ended the round without adding a point to their season score.
Board one featured rookie Joseph Tsoi versus International Master Paulo Bersamina. Things did not end well for Tsoi, as he was taken down by Bersamina to give NU a 0-1 lead. On board two, Blue Eagle Keefe Tan was defeated by Robin Ignacio to widen the gap.
Team Captain Gavin Ong battled it out with FIDE Master Austin Literatus on board three but was bested by his NU foe. Jolo Lat played the last board against Ryan Magtabog but fell short of the win, awarding NU the round.
“There’s nothing much to say about this round and our performance this season,” said Ong. “All I can say is we are never left empty-handed. Although we are on a losing streak, it has been a great learning experience for us in the long run, and I am positive about the future of this team.”
The Blue and Lady Eagles’ next match day is scheduled on Sunday, March 11, in at the Quadricentennial Pavilion in UST. The Blue Eagles will face the University of the East (UE) while the Lady Eagles will take on NU as the second round robin begins.
