Simafranca rules Lapu Blitz chess

MARK Simafranca demonstrated an iron resolve in escaping a tightly-contested match to bag the championship title of the 2014 Lapu-Lapu Blitz chess tournament held over the weekend at the Mactan Airbase in Lapu-Lapu City.
Simafranca finished the eight-player, single round-robin, five-minute blitz tilt in a three-way logjam with Aldwin Daculan and Cebu Executives and Professionals Chess Association’s Jun Olis atop the standings after they tallied identical five points apiece.
Simafranca, though, proved to be the most steady player of the three as he outlasted Daculan and Olis in the thrilling tie-breaker after outscoring Daculan by a single point, 14-13, and Olis by two, to walk away with the title and the bragging rights. Daculan settled for the second spot, while Olis landed third.
Cepca president Engr. Jerry Maratas emerged at the fourth place with his three-point production followed by another Cepcan, Jun Kidlat, who finished fifth with 3.0 points.
Jojo Muralla took the sixth place with 2.5 points, while Amado Olea (2.5 points) and Alvin Rigodon (2.0 points) completed the standings.
Meanwhile, Olis announced that the February edition of the Cepca Monthly Qualifying tournament is set on Feb 23 at 2 p.m. at the Handuraw Pizza in Gorordo Avenue. /Correspondent JADE S. VIOLETA

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