IT WAS a tough day for the Ateneo Blue Eagles on the sixth round of matchups in the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) Season 81 Chess Tournament against the University of the Philippines (UP) Fighting Maroons on Sunday, September 30 at the University of Santo Tomas (UST) Quadricentennial Pavilion as they were unable to muster a full point for Ateneo, losing the battle of Katipunan 0.5-3.5 to close the series.
The Blue Eagles fielded a familiar lineup to face the Maroons, inserting Team Captain Gavin Ong, accompanied by the three promising rookies, Vince Edralin, Tristan Cervero, and Alexander Santos, who have already grabbed their first UAAP wins early on in the season.
Edralin turned out to be the lone spark for Ateneo as he was able to claim a half-point against Brent Alanan on the third board to keep the Blue and White from falling into a potential first sweep of the Blue Eagles’ Season 81 campaign.
After the match, the team preferred to keep silent, declining to comment on any game-related questions to avoid divulging their strategy. Instead, Ong offered a heartfelt apology to his teammates after the loss, taking responsibility for Sunday’s result and reminding them that one loss does not define a team.
“Today’s loss was an eye-opener. I feel like there was a lot lacking in my performance, and I could’ve done more,” he said. “I want to apologize to the team for everything I did that led to this day.”
“On a positive note, I want to congratulate Vince on earning a draw against a strong player,” he added. “Maybe it’s part of God’s plan that we lost, so we shouldn’t be fazed. This is the time when our mentality will be tested.”
It has been an up and down season for the Men’s Chess team, going back and forth between series wins, draws, and losses for the past six matchdays. However, Ong remains strong for the Blue Eagles as he looks to lead the Blue and White’s charge to turn losses into learning opportunities.
The Blue Eagles will have a shot at redemption against the University of Santo Tomas Growling Tigers next week on Saturday, October 6, at the same venue.
