by JOMS CAÑA
Girls Division
Green Pfizer Feroz Warriors chesser, Grette Manbiotan, for Girls division, secures a win after a long round over the board against Pemalja Pathiraja of the Pink Maskins with a play of King’s Gambit during intramurals chess championships.
Manbiotan opened with a play of King’s Gambit, a reliable but powerful opening, following an exchange that led to her gaining more material.
It was an intense game with great placement and an equal amount of material between both competitors.
Towards the end of the game, Manbiotan gained a better vantage point with a well-timed combination, applying more pressure on Pemalja. After a few rearrangements, Manbiotan began her assault on Pemalja’s left side.
Pemalja did not take this lightly as she swiftly took control of the situation.
Nevertheless, after a revealed check and a fork from Manbiotan she won by checkmate against Pemalja. Manbiotan was anxious during her match as she stated, “I was nervous since I had not played for almost two years. Yet, I have no regrets during the match as I brought the green team’s name. My advice is that it takes practice and critical thinking to excel in playing chess.”
The third-place finish was to be decided by the results of the third match following the finals, in which Zoe Lipana of Yellow Sinobeez and Jemiman Gregorio of Red Delta faced off against each other.
After an extensive match over the board, the match concluded with Zoe Lipana taking 3rd place for the Yellow Sinobeez.
Boys Division
Nel Patungan of the Green Pfizer Feroz, for Boys division, after intense exchanges between players, triumphs in the intramurals chess championships after outplaying the Yellow Sinobeez finalist Denver Tizon.
The match began with a strong start in Nel’s side, gaining more traction and better positions as he took more material. This did not go unnoticed by Denver, as he retaliates attempting to minimize the damage of the attack.
As a result, Patungan outplayed his opponent, Denver Tizon, with a checkmate, giving Green Pfizer Feroz the win.
The contest to determine which competitor will take the third and fourth place was set up before the finals. This was when Aaqib Mufti from the Yellow Sinobeez and Johnray Maningas from the Pink Maskins fought for third place.
It was a level playing field until Johnray gained a better vantage point, which later led to his inevitable victory.
All the competitors played well during this event earning them their well-deserved spots, but Patungan displayed his talent the most, winning the chess championship for High School Boys Division to Green Pfizer Feroz!