CEBU CITY, Philippines — After a six-month break, the weekly online chess tournament of the Cebu Executives and Professionals Chess Association (Cepca) officially returned last June 12, introducing a new set of winning woodpushers.
International Master (IM) Barlo Nadera and Sheila Khan Sepanton shone in the tournament’s All-Cepcans and Group B categories respectively.
The 55-year-old IM Nadera who once played for the Southwestern University-Phinma chess team and a retired Philippine Air Force enlisted personnel back in the day finished the nine-round tournament with 8.0 points to top the All-Cepcans category.
IM Nadera who also vied four times for the Philippines in the Chess Olympiad won seven matches and had two draws in his campaign in the nine-round Swiss system tournament.
NM Rogelio Enriquez of the Toledo City Trojans claimed second place with 7.0 points from six wins and two draws. Jimmy Ty Jr. rounded off the top three woodpushers in the All-Cepcans category with 6.5 points from six wins and one draw.
NM Jerish John Velarde placed fourth with 6.5 points followed by NM Elwin Retanal with 5.5 points.
Meanwhile, Sepanton emerged as the best woodpusher in the Group B Cepcans category that featured an arena-style competition.
In her 14-game outing, the 29-year old former varsity player of Iloilo City’s Central Philippine University (CPU) had the highest winning percentage of 71 percent to declare her as the champion in the category.
Nicanor Cuizon settled for second place with a winning percentage of 63 percent after 16 games while Jonard Labadan rounded off the top three in the category with his 60 percent winning percentage from 15 games.
Richard Ouano and Manuel Bucay placed fourth and fifth respectively.
The tournament was sponsored by Cepca president Jerry Maratas and Cepca member Leo Lofranco. The last time Cepca had a weekly online chess tournament was before Typhoon Odette ravaged the Visayas and Mindanao region in December.
One of the main reasons Cepca halted its only weekly tournament was due to the unavailability of the internet connection of most of its members.
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