Participants compete in the Cepca Anniversary Chess Tournament at the Robinsons Galleria Cebu.
FIDE Master Anthony Makinano edged Richard Natividad to clinch the top spot after six rounds in the 27th Cebu Executives and Professionals Chess Association (CEPCA) Anniversary Tournament dubbed the Boy “Chessmoso” Pestano Open Chess Memorial Cup yesterday at the Knight Attack Chess Cafe in Robinsons Galleria Cebu.
Both FM Makinano and Natividad were unbeaten before the sixth round started.
FM Makinano, the fourth seed in the tournament, has 6.0 points with three rounds remaining. The last three rounds were being played as of press time.
The winning wood pusher in the tournament will walk away with P10,000 purse while corresponding cash prizes will be given up to the 25th placers.
Natividad, the tournament’s eighth seed is now at fourth place with five points and is tied with third-seed Rommel Ganzon, 29th-seed Armecito
Lumbab, 11th-seed Michael Joseph Pagaran, and 17th-seed Ronald Ganzon.
Trailing FM Makinano are 19th-seed Joel Pacuribot and fifth-seed Edsel Montoya, both with 5.5 points.
The two-day wood pushing tournament was held to pay tribute to late CEPCA founder Engr. Francisco “Boy” Pestaño and is backed by Celjem
Construction and Dev’t. Corp., JEMAR Engineering Services, PNPA Buklod-Diwa Class of 2001, Phillips Sanctuary and the Pestaño family.