LAPU-LAPU City’s Jerish John Velarde finished fifth in the under-12 blitz competition in the ongoing Asian Youth Chess Championships 2018 in Thailand yesterday.
He finished the nine-round competition with 6.5 points coming from six wins, two losses and a single draw.
Despite failing to land a medal in his blitz campaign, Velarde won’t go home empty-handed in this prestigious tournament as he bagged a bronze medal at the start of the competition by placing third in the rapid competition last April 1.
Velarde is also competing in the standard division, where he is currently placed 33rd with 4.0 points after suffering his third straight loss yesterday to 17th-seed CM Huy Phuoc Bui of Vietnam in the eighth round.
He will finish the standard competition with a match against 71st seed Yang Wang of China.
After his Thailand stint, Velarde will go straight to Vigan City, Ilocos Sur to compete for the Central Visayas Regional Athletic Association (Cviraa) delegation in the Palarong Pambansa slated April 15 to 21.