LADY EAGLE Brena Membrere has dedicated herself to the Ateneo Chess team throughout her entire college life. It is through this passion that the supersenior hopes to build up the Women’s program—to raise their team standing and to, one day, possibly become University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) champions.
Road to the top
Membrere is one of the most accomplished chess players on the Ateneo’s roster, especially after emerging victorious in the national chess championships last October 2015. This achievement solidified Membrere’s place as a respected veteran on her team, where she is positioned in board two while also serving as team captain.
She further cemented herself as her team’s best player this Season 78, when she garnered a total of four wins, four draws, and six losses—the highest individual score for the eighth-placed Eagles.
Like many great players before her, Membrere’s accomplishments were the result of hard work. Lady Eagle Head Coach Michael Gotel shares that she has improved a lot since he started training her two years ago.
“Masipag naman siya mag-train (she trains very hard),” Gotel says of his pupil. “Very dependable. Willing to learn.”
He mentions that her openings in the past were undeveloped and raw, as she was not aware of all the techniques. But it was her steady improvement that resulted in the doubling of her scores from last season’s UAAP tournament, which eventually accounted for most of her team’s total scores.
And although she now excels in her opening tactics, Membrere still struggles with the consistency of her strategies. She hopes to improve this by not only starting off strong, but also asserting her lead against her opponent throughout the match in order to come out with a win.
Team building
The Women’s team started the year with a mere two players, which already included Membrere herself. After the recruitment of new members, the team captain aided her coach in teaching the rookies techniques that would allow them to catch up to the levels of competitions they were expected to face.
But it is not only her training methods that has helped the Lady Eagles develop and become more committed to the team; Membrere’s model attitude has also been a huge factor. Gotel says that she shows her team that it is possible to elevate their performance if they train as she does.
“We are hopeful that we can actually improve as much as she did if we work as hard,” says Lady Eagle Jill Feliciano on her team captain.
Membrere leads by sharing her experiences from past competitions. And especially now after Season 78’s dismal results–a total of 14 losses–it is up to her to keep her teammates’ spirits up and boost their confidence by constantly encouraging them to give their best in every game.
“Kapag may tanong sila sa ‘kin, I’ll always answer it (If they have any questions, I’ll always answer it),” she says. “I’m always there for them if kailang nila ako (I’m always there for them if they need me).”
With a leader like Bren Membrere in the fold, the Lady Eagles are surely set on the right path to the top of the UAAP.
