THE ATENEO Men’s Chess Team ended the second day of the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) Season 86 Men’s Chess Tournament on a high note, securing a win against archrivals De La Salle University (DLSU) Green Woodpushers, 2 (2.5) – 0 (1.5). This victory improved Ateneo’s standing to a 1-0-1 win-draw-loss card. The tournament was held earlier today at the Far Eastern University (FEU) Technology Building in the City of Manila.
Leading the Blue Eagles in bouncing back from their opening-day loss was Jasper Faeldonia, who put up a tough fight against DLSU’s Jester Siztoza. The rookie’s win over his opponent gave the Loyola-based squad its first winning board of the season. Faeldonia’s triumph was replicated by another rookie as Janmyl Tisado prevailed over Green Woodpusher Kris Olvido.
However, unable to mimic his teammates’ success, Ateneo’s Tristan Cervero conceded to Daniel Lemi on the third board. To avoid concluding the match on a draw, Team Captain Khalil Kis-sing put up a clutch stalemate effort against Cyril Felrod Telesforo to ultimately give the Blue and White their first win of the season.
When asked about the adjustments they made in order to bounce back, Coach Luffe Magdalaga stressed out preparation. “Talo kami yesterday, so nag-prepare kami. Sinabi ko sa players ko na pag ‘sure ball’ ‘yung tira, kapag lamang ingatan kasi pinagpaguran nila ‘yan tapos matatalo. So, ngayon nahandle naman nila,” said Luffe.
(Due to our loss yesterday, we knew we had to prepare. I told my players if the play is a sure win and if we’re in the lead, we have to take care of it because we too worked hard for it. So, now, I am glad that we were able to handle it).
The Ateneo Men’s Chess Team look to continue their winning streak as they go up against the FEU Male Woodpushers on Saturday, 1:00 PM, in the same venue.
Editor’s Note: Taking effect this season, the UAAP has made changes to the point system of the Men’s and Women’s Chess Tournaments. In the new format, there are four boards with each corresponding to a match between two players.
The recently implemented scoring system was used for tiebreaker considerations: win – 1 point, loss – 0 points, and draw – 0.5 points.
If a team accumulates more points than the opposing team, they garner 2 points overall for the standings.
