OPENING THE second day of matches, the Ateneo Chess Teams experienced varied results as their respective campaigns continued in the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) Blitz Chess Tournament. The roulette of matches was held earlier, April 11, at the Adamson University Gym in the City of Manila.
Looking to bounce back from the tournament’s opener, the Ateneo Men’s Chess Team (AMCT) found success, defeating both the University of the Philippines (UP) Fighting Maroons and the Adamson University (AdU) Soaring Falcons.
Meanwhile, the Ateneo Women’s Chess Team (AWCT) also continued their run of excellence with wins over the De La Salle University (DLSU) Lady Woodpushers and the University of Santo Tomas (UST) Female Woodpushers. However, they absorbed back-to-back setbacks against the Far Eastern University (FEU) Lady Tamaraws and the National University (NU) Lady Bulldogs.
The AMCT featured the trio of Ritchie Abeleda, Cedric Abris, and Knarf Batislaong, who were led by Team Captain Khalil Kis-ing. For the Women’s division, Elayza Villa, Alphecca Gonzales, Jiessel Marino, Francine Magpily, and Kristine Mae Flores returned, following their success from yesterday’s competition.
Men’s vs. UP
The Men’s Team got off to a sluggish start against the UP Fighting Maroons, falling behind 1.5-2.5 in the opening board. To tie things up in the following board, Abeldea and Batislaong picked up vital wins along with a key stalemate from Kis-ing, 2.5-1.5.
Riding the coattails of their previous success, the same triad of Abeldea, Batislaong, and Kis-ing outpaced their competition to gain the advantage in the third match, 3-1. To round their opener off, the AMCT swept their adversary, marking their first series win of the season, 4-0.
Men’s vs. AdU
The Blue and White then engaged in a close contest with the Soaring Falcons. The first three boards saw Ateneo and Adamson trade wins in their games as both teams arrived at the fourth match tied. The trio of Abris, Kis-ing, and Batislaong came out victorious, 3-1, to book their Final Four seat.
Women’s vs. DLSU
Kicking off their campaign, the AWCT battled it out in a close contest against the DLSU Lady Woodpushers. Veteran Gonzales captured the sole victory of the team, capturing a 2.5-1.5 win against Lady Woodpusher Juzeia Agne. On the other hand, Team Captain Villa suffered a 1-3 defeat in the hands of DLSU’s Lovely Geraldino. The match then ended in a draw as both Marino and Magpily settled for 2-2 stalemates against their Taft-based counterparts.
Women’s vs. UST
Eager to secure their first win of the day, the Women’s Team locked horns with the UST Female Woodpushers. Gonzales came out on top with a 3-1 victory against Precious Yecla. Marino then dominated her España-based adversary, capturing the victory in a 4-0 sweep. In a tight contest, veteran Flores outwitted Jenny Tulo of the Female Woodpushers, 2.5-1.5. Lastly, Season 87 Blitz Chess Most Valuable Player Villa settled for a 2-2 stalemate against UST’s Jamaica Lagrio, resulting in a huge 3.5-0.5 series victory for the Blue Eagles.
Women’s vs. FEU
Aiming to ride their winning momentum, the AWCT locked horns with powerhouse FEU Lady Tamaraws for their third match of the day. Marino captured Ateneo’s only victory, taking down FEU’s Mhage Sebastian, 2.5-1.5. On the other hand, both Villa and Gonzales absorbed close 1.5-2.5 losses against their Morayta-based opponents. Lastly, former captain Flores failed to outwit Samantha Ubayan of the Lady Tamaraws, 1-3, leading to an overall defeat for the Blue and White, 1-3.
Women’s vs. NU
Seeking to secure their Final Four status, the AWCT faced the second-seeded NU Lady Bulldogs. Ateneo entered the first board against fierce challengers as Villa and Flores drew to gain their only point, 1-3. Villa, Marino, and Flores brought the Blue Eagles back on track with victories over NU’s Allanney Doroy, Kyla Dalagan, and Queen Pamplona, respectively, 3-1.
However, Ateneo absorbed consecutive defeats in the third and fourth board with 1.5-2.5 and 0-4 results, surrendering the match for the Blue Eagles. Despite the loss, the Blue and White will enter the Final Four as the fourth seed.
The AMCT will seek to book a Finals berth as they face the UST Male Woodpushers, while the AWCT aims to move one step closer to defending their title in a battle with the FEU Lady Tamaraws. Both matches and the subsequent Finals matchups are set to take place tomorrow, April 12, at the same venue.
