Natividad rules CEPCA President’s Cup chess tilt

Richard Natividad (middle) is flanked by CEPCA officials during the awarding ceremony. | Photo from Cebu School of Chess

CEBU CITY, Philippines — Seasoned woodpusher Richard Natividad lorded the Cebu Executives and Professionals Chess Association (CEPCA) President’s Cup 2024 on Saturday, May 18.

Natividad, a former player of the Toledo Xignex Trojans in the Professional Chess Association of the Philippines (PCAP), displayed a near-perfect outing in the tournament after scoring 6.5 points in the 7-round Swiss system format.

His win earned him not just the title, but also the champion’s purse worth P8,000.

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Natividad’s former teammate, Christopher Tubalado,  National Master (NM) Arnolito Cadiz, and Venancio Loyola Jr. each scored 6.0 points to finish second to fourth places, respectively, by virtue of a superior tiebreaker applying the Bucholz system.

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Tubalado earned P5,000 for placing second, while Cadiz and Loyola received P3,000 and P2,000 for placing third and fourth, respectively.

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CEPCA President’s Cup

Another Toledo Xignex Trojan, Allan Pason, made it to the top five of the tournament with his 5.5-point performance, followed by Daniel Baylosis in sixth place with the same score but lower tiebreak points.

John Dave Lavandero, Joselito Loquez, Joel Pacuribot, NMs Leonardo Alidani and Carlos Cabuenos, Lemuel Montero, Arena Grand Master (AGM) Rogel Panilagao, and Emmanuel Bryan Abujan, wound up seventh to 14th places with 5.0 points each.

Also, NM Rommel Ganzon completed the top 15 woodpushers with his 4.5-point outing.

The one-day tournament which drew over a hundred of Cebu’s finest woodpushers was organized by CEPCA headed by its long-time president Engr. Jerry Maratas as part of his birthday celebration and was held at the Robinsons Galleria Cebu.

Besides the main prizes, special awards were also given to the outstanding CEPCA players during the tournament. NM Cadiz and Loyola Jr. were named the best CEPCANS A, while Rafael Perez and Edwin Alcarde Bacaron were the best CEPCANS B.

Also, Glydel Janine Rodrigo and Kristina Concepcion Belano were named the best female players. The rest of the awardees were Alidani and Cabuenos (best 50-above), Baylosis and Lavandero (best under 20), Lance David Gimena and Neil Capangpangan (best under 18), Matteo Rafael Codinera and Xander Gabriel Santos Escarda (best under 16), and Paolo Palang and Renier Vistar (best unrated).