IT WAS a mixed bag of results for the Ateneo Chess Teams in the opening day of the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) Season 88 Chess Tournaments, nabbing one draw and two losses. The contests occurred earlier today at the Adamson University SV Gym in the City of Manila.
The Ateneo Men’s Chess Team, composed of Eowyn Jullado, Cedric Abris, Knarf Batislaong, and Ritchie Abeleda, battled to a 2-2 draw against the Far Eastern University (FEU) Tamaraws.
Meanwhile, the Ateneo Women’s Chess Team quartet of Elayza Villa, Jiessel Marino, Alphecca Gonzales, and Kristine Flores suffered back-to-back defeats at the hands of the De La Salle University (DLSU) Lady Woodpushers and the University of Santo Tomas (UST) Lady Woodpushers, 1.5-2.5, and 0.5-3.5, respectively.
Women’s vs DLSU
To kick off the day’s proceedings, the Ateneo Women’s Chess Team went head-to-head against DLSU. Marino scored Ateneo’s lone victory, defeating Francois Marie Magpily on Board 1. Flores then secured a draw on Board 4 against Lovely Ann Geraldino. However, both Villa and Gonzales fell short in their matches against Rinoa Mariel Sadey and Heart Padilla, sealing the win for DLSU.
Men’s vs FEU
With their Round 1 matchup against the University of the Philippines (UP) Fighting Maroons postponed due to Typhoon Opong, the Men’s Team opened their season against last year’s bronze medalists, the FEU Tamaraws.
Batislaong struck first with a win over Oscar Joseph Cantela on Board 3, giving Ateneo an early lead. However, Jullado and Abris dropped their games to FEU’s Mark Jay Bacojo and Velarde on Boards 1 and 2. In the deciding match, Abeleda forced Christian Marcelo Olyabal to resign, salvaging a 2-2 draw for the Blue Eagles.
Women’s vs UST
Looking to bounce back from their earlier defeat, the women’s squad faced UST to end their day’s play. However, this time, Villa was the only Blue Eagle to score, holding Jamaica Lagrio to a draw. Meanwhile, Marino, Gonzales, and Flores were unable to keep pace with UST’s Precious Yecla, Josemier Panol, and Nathalie Liscano, handing Ateneo their second loss of the day.
Despite the rough start, Head Coach Yves Rañola remained optimistic about the team’s outlook for the rest of the season.
“Although natalo kami by a very slim margin, 1.5 over 2.5 sa [DLSU], [and] although hindi nai-translate [ang momentum] sa second game, […] babawi kami sa next couple of rounds. […] And we’ll see from there kung saan pa kami nararapat, top four or lower half,” Coach Rañola said.
(Although we lost by a very slim margin, 1.5 to 2.5 against [DLSU], and although [the momentum] didn’t translate in the second game, […] we’ll bounce back in the next couple of rounds. […] And from there, we’ll see where we truly belong, whether in the top four or the lower half.)
Adding his perspective on the team’s performance, Team Captain Khalil Kis-ing, who was unavailable for the men’s opening match, expressed confidence in his team after today’s result.
“Winning our first game against [FEU] shows a promising season ahead for the Ateneo Chess Team. In our next matches against any other opponent, we know they’ll bring their best, so we have to bring ours as well,” Kis-ing said.
Aiming to get back on track, the Women’s Team will face off against the Adamson Lady Falcons on October 1 at 1:00 PM at the same venue. On the other hand, the Men’s Team will face the DLSU Green Woodpushers on October 4 at 1:00 PM at the same venue.
