The Ateneo Women’s Chess Team defeated the Adamson University (AdU) Lady Falcons, 3.5-0.5, in the University Athletics Association of the Philippines (UAAP) Season 82 Women’s Chess Tournament on Saturday, October 12, at the University of Santo Tomas (UST) Quadricentennial Pavilion, Manila City.
The win secured the Lady Eagles’ second win of the second round, improving Ateneo to a 5-2-2 standing in the tournament with a total of 22.5 points. The Lady Eagles are currently in third place, tied with the UST Golden Tigresses. On the other hand, the Lady Falcons slumped to a 2-1-6 record at the bottom of the UAAP Season 82 standings
Merlene Membrere, Alexis Oseña, and Manilyn Cabuncag were situated at boards one, two, and three, respectively. They each notched a win to secure the victory by the third match. Laila Nadera, who took responsibility of board four, then topped off the day with a draw against Adamson’s Bonalyn Onido.
Team Captain Membrere’s experience showed as she rallied her team to their second straight win, their fifth overall. “We are happy that we are able to win today’s game against Adamson. We met more than our expected score of three points,” Mebrere said after the match-day. “Coach [Yves Rañola] gave us materials on how to lead our opponents and have an advantage as early as the opening position. We studied that for a week, and now our preparations [have] been all worth it.”
When asked for how the Lady Eagles view their remaining matches of the season, Membrere said that they focus on their own skill, development, and enjoyment. “Coach [Rañola] always tell us that we should focus and enjoy our games. We don’t have to worry about the scores of other teams and also our future matches,” said Membrere. The team captain mentioned how the Lady Eagles try not to overthink their upcoming matches. “It’s always one game at a time. We are on the same level as our opponents, so we should not be afraid of them. We should believe in our abilities and always do our best,” she said.
Hoping to keep their win streak alive, the Lady Eagles will challenge the top-ranked Far Eastern University on Sunday, October 13, 1:00 PM, at the UST Quadricentennial Pavilion in Manila City.
