THE ATENEO Women’s Chess Team got off to an encouraging start in the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) Season 82 Chess Tournament held on September 14-15, at the University of Santo Tomas (UST) Quadricentennial Pavilion. The Lady Eagles sealed their opening weekend in third place after defeating De La Salle University (DLSU) and drawing against UST.
Bannering the Blue and White on both competition days were Team Captain Merlene Membrere at first board and Alex Oseña on second board. Manilyn Cabuncag and Laila Nadera seated third and fourth boards, respectively.
The Lady Eagles faced a difficult challenge right off the bat as they played against defending champions DLSU. On the first matchday, Ateneo started out slow with Membrere failing to topple her opponent and Oseña held to a draw. However, they emerged victorious and took the win, 2.5-1.5, as Cabuncag and Nadera turned the tie around in the last two matches, taking command of their boards and earning full points.
On the second matchday, the Lady Eagles suited up against the UST Lady Tigresses. They were not able to build on the upset victory over DLSU and finished with a deadlocked slate, 2-2. Oseña dropped her match, but Cabuncag prevailed once again, while Membrere and Nadera earned draws to keep UST at bay.
This weekend’s results were welcome signs of progress for the team. “We were happy about the results this weekend. We really prepared for this so it felt like our preparations were worth it,” said Membrere.
Coach Yves Ranela added that the key to sustaining their early success is down to their mindset. “Pinipilit kong ituro sa kanila yung ‘wag mag panic during crunch time, so stay calm. Positive naman ako na this year, sa tingin ko naman, lalaban tayo sa Top 4 (I make it a point to teach them to stay calm during crunch time. I’m positive we can compete for a spot in the Top 4),” he remarked.
The Lady Eagles have a chance to push forward against the University of the Philippines (UP) on Saturday, September 21 and against Far Eastern University (FEU) on Sunday, September 22. Both ties begin at 1:00 PM at the UST Quadricentennial Pavilion.
