De los Santos rules Mactan Open Barkadahan Chess, IM Quizon Crowned New Philíppine Champion

CORDOVA, Cebu – Former NCAA MVP Don Tyrone De los Santos kept his composure down the line as he hold off the end game barrage of Bryle Arellano to score his 7th point in nine games and bag the 1st Mactan Open: Barkadahan Para sa Bansa Chess Championship at the posh Solea Resort Mactan.

Likewise, FIDE Master Anthony Makinano pulled another escape victory with an end-game brilliance to deny former UAAP standout John Ernie Maraan and win the second-place finish.

Final pairning John Ernie Maraan (left) & FM Anthony Makinano (right) before the start of the match. 

Makinano was losing with one piece down with having Maraan’s positional advantage, but still, he managed to escape and won the match, earning appreciation from WGM Janelle Frayna.

“You were down by one piece and his rook was on the second row and his pieces were already inside your rank, but you still managed to win the game. I’m very impressed!” exclaimed Frayna as she approached Makinano.

“His (Maraan) time was dropping. Because of that, his moves slowly lost strength and I took that to my advantage to turn the game around,” replied the 51-years old Makinano.

De los Santos finished with 7.5 points to win the P50,000 champion’s prize while Makinano and FM Roel Abelgas both had 7.0 points each. However, Makinano had better tie breakpoints to take home the P25,000 second-place purse while Abelgas settled for the P15,000 third placer purse.

FORMER NCAA MVP Don Tyrone de los Santos wins P50,000 after finishing on top of the 39-field competition of the 1st Mactan Open: Barkadahan Para sa Bansa Chess Championship. 

Rounding up the top 10 finishers were Antonio Chavez (6.5pts), Bryle Arellano (6.0), Mark Jay Bacojo (6.0), Carlo Magno Rosaupan (5.5), Jerish John Velarde (5.5), Maraan (5.5) and Jaime Joshua Frias II (5.5).

Under 10:

Mar Aviel Carredo

Under 12:

Bonjoure Fille Suyamin

Under 14:

Kristina Belano

Under 16:

WNM Jerlyn Mae San Diego

 Best Female

WFM Cherry Ann Mejia

In the Philippine National Open Chess Championship Grand Finals, the 17-year old International Master Daniel Quezon settled for a draw with fellow IM Ronald Dableo to safely tuck the title in the field of tough competitors.

International Master Daniel Quizon answers questions from the media covering the event after he was declared champion in the Philippine National Open Chess Championship 2021 Grand Finals.

Quezon scored a total of 8.5 points after 11 Rounds, which was 1.5 points clear ahead of the second finisher IM Ricardo De Guzman who had 7.0 pts. Quizon had a total of six wins and 5 draws to take the first spot of the Philippine contenders to the AIMAG 2023 in Thailand and the P80,000 cash prize. RCM