THE ATENEO Women’s Chess Team (AWCT) earned the first win of their UAAP Season 88 campaign following a commanding 3.5-0.5 victory against the Adamson Women’s Chess Team in Round 4. The match was held earlier today, October 1, at the Adamson SV Gym in the City of Manila.

The Blue Eagles fielded a seasoned lineup led by Jiessel Marino on Board 1, Team Captain Elayza Villa on Board 2, Alphecca Gonzales on Board 3, and Francine Elaine Magpily on Board 4.

Ateneo quickly seized control of the round with Gonzales striking first, securing the first full point for Ateneo by outmaneuvering Adamson’s Angela Joelle San Luis in an aggressive tactical battle on Board 3. Magpily soon reinforced the lead on Board 4, resulting in another full point against Lira Placer.

On the other side of the gymnasium, Marino was holding Ma. Christina Samarita to a draw in a tense Board 1 duel. Soon after, Villa then capped off the day for Ateneo with a decisive endgame win against Phoebie Angel Arellano on Board 2. The commanding tally of three victories and one draw gave the Blue Eagles a dominating 3.5-0.5 match result against Adamson.

Reflecting on the round, Gonzales noted that her aggressive opening created early chances despite complications in her middlegame against San Luis, while Magpily capitalized on a favorable knight-versus-bishop imbalance in a closed position. Moreover, Marino shared that she had to fight from a middlegame disadvantage before equalizing in the later stages of the contests. 

When asked about her deciding moment, Villa credited her tempo advantage to queenside exchanges for her eventual victory, securing the last point for the Ateneo Women’s Chess Team. “Lumamang lang ako ng isang pawn sa endgame, [but I] converted it to win the game, (I was only up by a pawn during the endgame, but I managed to convert it to a win,)” said Villa.

With this dominant win, the Ateneo Women’s Chess Team look to bolster their standing in the UAAP Season 88 table as they head into Round 5 against the National University Lady Bulldogs on October 4, 1:00 PM, at the same venue. On the same date and time, the Ateneo Men’s Chess Team will face the DLSU Woodpushers in their own Round 5 clash.