IN WHAT may be a glimpse of greatness for seasons to come, the Ateneo Women’s Chess Team captured the first-ever University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) Blitz Chess title after two textbook postseason performances.
Entering the competition’s Final Four as the fourth seed, the Blue Eagles first made a statement by knocking out the top-seeded De La Salle University (DLSU) Lady Woodpushers, 2.5-1.5. Ateneo then shocked perennial juggernauts Far Eastern University (FEU) Lady Tamaraws in a championship duel that had no shortage of drama, 2-2, cementing their incredible Blitz campaign with gold. Both matches took place earlier today at the Adamson University Gym in the City of Manila.
The Blue and White’s pair of legacy-defining stunners is also attached with poetic undertones, with Ateneo’s upset over DLSU serving as sweet revenge for their loss to their Taft-based adversaries in the last eliminations match. To top it off, the Katipunan-based team’s finals victory against FEU carries even more meaning as Ateneo fended off the same squad that recently stopped them from claiming the UAAP Women’s Rapid Chess championship.
Sophomore sensation Elayza Villa led the way for the Blue Eagles, securing the Most Valuable Player (MVP) award and a gold medal for her spectacular play on Board 2 throughout the tournament. Lexie Hernandez and Alphecca Gonzales also copped Blitz hardware, as they bagged silver medals for their outputs on Boards 1 and 4, respectively.
Villa, Hernandez, Team Captain Kristine Flores, Gonzales, and Jiessel Marino bannered the Blue and White throughout the tourney’s concluding day.
Final Four vs. DLSU
The reigning UAAP Season 87 standard Rookie of the Year (ROTY) Hernandez kicked things off in the Final Four against Francois Magpily. Backing up the hype surrounding her name, Hernandez easily clobbered her opponent and captured the first point for the Blue Eagles with her dominant 3-1 victory.
Villa also put on a masterclass of her own in her clash against Rinoa Sadey. The sophomore cruised past her DLSU foe in their duel, resulting in a 2-0 team-tie lead and another 3-1 victory for Ateneo.
Atenean skipper Flores, however, struggled to find her footing against Lady Woodpusher Checy Telesforo. The veteran secured a stalemate and a win, but ultimately faltered as Telesforo outwitted her twice, 1.5-2.5.
Eager to power Ateneo into the finals, Alphecca Gonzales faced off against Sara Olendo. Gonzales and Olendo engaged in a neck-and-neck battle, with the two reaching a 2-2 stalemate after trading blows throughout the match. The deadlock was enough for the Blue Eagles to hold off the Lady Woodpushers in team-ties, 2.5-1.5, securing Ateneo’s clash with FEU for gold.
Finals vs. FEU
In the championship match, Ateneo got off to an unfavorable start as Villa faltered against Mhage Sebastian. The MVP first secured a stalemate against the Lady Tamaraw but was completely outwitted in the rest of the games, 0.5-3.5.
Driven to get the Blue Eagles on the board, Gonzales engaged in a back-and-forth battle with Vic Derotas. Ultimately, the Atenean veteran gained the upper hand and engineered a 2.5-1.5 victory, giving the Blue and White much-needed life against the formidable FEU.
In the following matchup, Jiessel Marino faced off against Mary Tan, with both players looking to give their respective teams a pivotal edge in the fight for gold. In spite of her efforts, Marino struggled to gain control of the match, resulting in a 1-3 outcome. The setback placed Ateneo in familiar territory as their hopes for a championship were once again jeopardized by the dynastic Lady Tamaraws.
In what proved to be the deciding series for the title, Hernandez challenged Franchesca Largo. With the fate of the Blue Eagles resting in the hands of Hernandez, the reigning ROTY turned in the finest performance of her still-young career, making easy work of her Morayta-based adversary in a 4-0 sweep.
Despite the overall score of the championship series ending in a 2-2 deadlock, Hernandez’s exemplary performance on Board 1 effectively clinched the Blue and White’s position at the center of the podium.
After lifting the Blue Eagles to a first-place finish with her commanding performance, the standout freshman spoke on how the team’s support eases the pressure of high-intensity matchups.
“Maybe without them malaking pressure yung mafeel ko. Pero dahil nandiyan sila, lagi nasa likod ko, and I know kahit anong mangyari, nandiyan lang sila lagi. Sa team kasi namin, walang sisihan.” Hernandez said.
(Maybe without them, I would feel a lot of pressure. But because they are there, always having my back, I know that no matter what happens, they will always be there. On our team, no one blames each other.)
Echoing Hernandez’s sentiments, Villa was also quick to praise her teammates and coaches after being crowned for her MVP performance.
“Winning the MVP in the first-ever blitz tournament, I feel so blessed and thankful sa mga teammates ko, kasi sila yung nandiyan para maging support system namin sa isa’t-isa (for my teammates, because we became the support system of one another).”
With the UAAP’s inaugural Blitz and Rapid Chess tournaments now reaching their end, Ateneo will look to build upon its young roster seemingly primed to maintain dominance in the foreseeable future.
