THE ATENEO Men’s Chess Team fell, 1-3, to the University of the Philippines (UP) in the fifth round of games for the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) Season 82 Men’s Chess Tournament on Sunday, September 28 at the University of Santo Tomas (UST) Quadricentennial Pavilion in Manila City.

The result gives the Blue Eagles a record of 1-2-2 and a points total of 8.5, pulling them down from 5th place to 6th.

Ateneo’s lineup featured rookie Hans Reyes in his first game of the season at board one. Tristan Cervero, Gavin Ong, and Alexander Santos retained their spots from the last round at boards two, three, and four, respectively.

The Blue Eagles were looking to build on their momentum after a convincing win over UST but were unable to pick up a victory this time around. Despite their best efforts, the Blue and White only picked up one win against UP through Cervero, while Reyes, Ong, and Santos fought hard but fell short at the end.

Speaking after the loss, Team Captain Ong tried to keep the squad’s spirits up. “The team just needs to have a positive mindset and a fighting spirit moving forward,” said Ong. He went on to stress the importance of facing challenges without fear, saying, “We all lose at some point, but it’s important to stay focused and not let anybody intimidate you.”

The Blue Eagles will go head-to-head against De La Salle University at 1:00 PM on Sunday, September 29 at the UST Quadricentennial Pavilion in Manila City.