Eight kids created some noise at the close of the chess competitions of the Philippine Sports Commission-Batang Pinoy National Championships in Vigan, Ilocos Sur.
Leading the standouts were Mar Aviel Carredo of Quezon City, who won five golds and a silver medal, and Sumer Justine Oncita of Pasig City, who collected a fifth gold to become among the most bemedalled woodpushers.
Carredo shone bright in the standard individual category, the standard team category gold, the blitz individual category, the blitz team category, and the rapid individual category, before settling for the silver in the rapid team event.
Oncita and Gabriel Ryan D. Paradero came up with a joint total of 7.5 points, to top the 13-under boys’ rapid team category, beating the pair of Gabriel M. Siano and Mark Gabriel Usman of Laguna.
Cagayan de Oro produced four gold medallists, led by 11-year-old Zhaoyu Capilitan, a sixth grader at the Father William Masterson Elementary School, Cagayan de Oro City, as she dominated the 11-year-and under girls’ class with a perfect five points for her first gold.
Capilitan then teamed up with Azhzley Aya Nicole Paquinol, who earned two golds in team blitz and team standard events.
Fourteen-year-old Ruelle Canino also joined the gold medal hunt.
Fresh from leading the Far Eastern University-Diliman High School into a title finish in the University Athletic Association of the Philippines Season 85 chess championships, Canino, who is from Barangay Bonbon, Cagayan de Oro, bagged the individual gold in the girls’ 14-under age category.
Mary Janelle Tan, Team Cagayan de Oro’s reinforcement from Jasaan town, Misamis Oriental, dominated the nine-year-old girls and younger bracket, bringing to five Cagayan de Oro’s chess gold medals.
