93rd NCAA Athletic Season 2017
NCAA Chess Team
Championship Seniors
Champion. San Beda College (SBC), 30.0/36
Bd01 FM Mari Joseph Turqueza 6.5/7, Bd02 McDominique Lagula 6.5/7, Bd03 Marc Christian Nazario 5.5/7, Bd04 Prince Mark Aquino 5.5/7, Bd05 Bryan Barcelon 4.5/6, Bd06 Dave Patrick Dulay 1.5/2. Team Captain: FM Mari Joseph Turqueza, Team Coach: Ildefonso Datu, Asst. Coach: NM Alcon John Datu, Team Manager: Gen. Rodel Mauro Alarcon.
Runner-Up. Lyceum of the Philippines University (LPU), 26.0/36
Bd01 Jonathan Jota 6.0/8, Bd02 Walt Allen Talan 3.0/5, Bd03 Romulo Curioso, Jr. 6.0/8, Bd04 Jhoemar Mendiogarin 2.5/4, Bd05 Louie John Alegria 4.0/5, Bd06 Virgen Gil Ruaya 4.5/6. Team Captain: Jonathan Jota/Virgen Gil Ruaya, Team Coaches: Engr. Christopher Cunanan, IM Roderick Nava, Team Manager: Christopher de Guzman
3rd Place. DLS-College of Saint Benilde (DLS-CSB), 25.5/36
Bd01 Gino Divin Cabual 3.5/5, Bd02 Prince Kenneth Reyes 5.0/8, Bd03 Nelson Busa, Jr. 7.0/9, Bd04 Daryl Unix Samantila 7.0/9, Bd05 John Michael Magpily 1.0/2, Bd06 Hans Christian Balingit 2.0/3. Team Captain: Daryl Unix Samantila, Team Coach: FM Fernie Donguines, Team Manager: Manuel Raymundo Castellano.
4th Place. Arellano University (AU), 24.0/36
Bd01 Don Tyrone Delos Santos 7.5/9, Bd02 Kyz Llantada 5.0/7, Bd03 Carlo Caranyagan 4.5/8, Bd04 Joshua Arias 1.0/4, Bd05 Tucker Howard Elsteine Viernes 3.0/4, Bd06 Jeremy Lorenz Parado 3.0/4. Team Captain: Kyz Llantada, Team Coach: NM Rudy Ibañez, Asst. Coach: Juan Carlos Presente, Team Manager: Peter Cayco
5th Place. Colegio de San Juan de Letran (CSJL), 20.0/36
Melwyn Kenneth Baltazar 7.0/9, Bd02 Mary Joyce Fuerte 0/1, Bd03 Marco Jay Mabasa 6.0/9, Bd04 Lian Patrick Destura 4.5/9, Bd05 Joshua Berdadero 2.0/5, Bd06 Joseph Bersamina 0.5/3. Team Captain: Marco Jay Mabasa, Team Coach: NM Roland Joseph Perez.
6th Place. San Sebastian College-Recoletos (SSC-R), 15.5/36
Bd01 William Paul Repato 0/1, Bd02 Mark Dominick Valdez 3.5/9, Bd03 Jade Agustin 1.0/4, Bd04 Carl Lemuel Bernales 3.0/5, Bd05 Leonel Caroc 3.0/8, Bd06 Ralph Jordan Floro 5.0/9. Team Captain: Mark Dominick Valdez, Team Coach: NM Homer Cunanan.
7th Place. Mapua University (MU), 13.0/36
Bd01 Aldus Brent Austria 2.5/8, Bd02 Paolo Angelo Garcia 2.0/7, Bd03 Karl Vincent Kasparob Andres 2.0/7, Christian Dave Cabida 3.0/8, Bd05 John Rey Trinidad 3.0/4, Bd06 Paul Relativo 0.5/2. Team Captain: Karl Vincent Kasparob Andres, Team Coach: Salvador Tardecilla, Asst. Coach: Israel Landicho, Team Managers: Engr. Resito David, Prof. Melchor Pilones.
8th Place. Jose Rizal University (JRU), 11.0/36
Bd01 Jhun Aballa 0/5, Bd02 Tristan Valdez 0.5/6, Bd03 WNM Jean Karen Enriquez 4.5/9, Bd04 Henry Verana, Jr. 0/2, Bd05 Rodel Obina 0.5/5, Bd06 Marc Kenneth Lomio 5.5/9. Team Captain: Marc Kenneth Lomio, Team Coach: Jeremy Jabson.
9th Place. University of Perpetual Help System Dalta (UPHSD), 8.5/36
Bd01 Kim Zsofia Dejayco 2.0/6, Bd02 Carl Kevin Manguera 1.5/9, Bd03 Patrisha Anne Salgado 0/2, Bd04 Bhenjar Laurente 3.0/9, Bd05 Kenneth Martin Rovillos 2.0/3, Bd06 Ronnel Bacudo 0/7. Team Captain: Kenneth Martin Rovillos, Team Coach: IM RToel Abelgas, Team Manager: Altas
10th Place. Emilio Aguinaldo College (EAC), 6.5/36
Bd01 Allan Kenneth Borillo 1.5/9, Bd02 Carlo James Perez 0/9, Bd03 Kenneth Paul Delis 3.5/9, Bd04 Ricky Rose Punzalan 1.5/8, Bd05 Andres Calagui 0/1. Team Captain: Kenneth Paul Delis, Team Coach: Jose Aquino, Jr.
Most Valuable Player: FM Mari Joseph Turqueza — SBC; Coach of the Year: Ildefonso Datu — SBC
Individual Awards (gold medalists):
Bd01 FM Mari Joseph Turqueza SBC 6.5/7; Bd02 McDominique Lagula SBC 6.5/7; Bd03 Marc Christian Nazario SBC 5.5/7; Bd04 Prince Mark Aquino SBC 5.5/7; Bd05 Louie John Alegria LPOU 4.0/5; Bd06 Virgen Gil Ruaya LPU 4.5/6
This year there was a change of format. Instead of the usual double round-robin tournament there was just a single round, after which we have the playoffs and finals. The no. 1 team faced no. 4 while no. 2 faced team no. 3 with the lower-placed team needing to beat the other team twice to proceed to the finals. This did not happen and San Beda + Lyceum (the two highest scoring teams) proceeded to the finals.
Playoffs:
SBC vs AU 3.0-1.0
LPU vs DLS-CSB 2.5-1.5
The top board of Lyceum, Jonathan Jota, had in the meantime qualified to play in the Philippine National Championship Grand Finals. He had a dream start, defeating two International Grandmasters in the first 3 rounds (GM Darwin Laylo in the 1st and GM Joey Antonio in the 2nd). When duty calls, however, he was a loyal soldier. Jota chose to default his game against GM John Paul Gomez in the Grand Finals (and put into jeopardy a possible International Master norm) in order to anchor his team against College of Saint Benilde. Jota downed Prince Kenneth Reyes on board one for the decisive win in a 2.5-1.5 victory over CSB to ensure that his team will be playing in the finals.
Finals:
SBC vs LPU 3.0-1.0
In the Finals though FM Mari Joseph Turqueza, continuing the brilliant play he has shown in the entire NCAA tournament, sacrificed his queen and comprehensively beat Jonathan Jota to give the gold medals to the Lions.
Here is that crucial game.
Turqueza, Mari Joseph — Jota, Jonathan [D70]
2017 NCAA Chess Finals JPL Freedom Hall, LPU Manila (11.1), 17.09.2017
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.f3
If you play 1.d4 as White, or the Gruenfeld as Black, you really should study this move which leads to a lot of sharp positions and could get you an easy point or two. The rationale behind this move, according to GM Larry Kaufman (“Sabotage the Gruenfeld” — oh yes, you’ve got to buy this book!) is that White wants to provoke 3…d5 by threatening to play 4.e4 at a time when White’s knight is not yet on c3. Then the Exchange Variation of the Gruenfeld is more effective since Black cannot swap off his attacked knight on d5.
3…d5 4.cxd5 Nxd5 5.e4 Nb6 6.Nc3 Bg7 7.Be3 0–0 8.Qd2
Everyone should read Kaufman’s opening books. He is one of the developers of the world champion Komodo chess engine and subjects everything he analyzes to heavy computer study. Here he points out that 8.f4 is becoming popular but no one has fought it with the silicon engine recommended 8…c5!? 9.d5 (9.dxc5 Bxc3+ 10.bxc3 Qxd1+ 11.Rxd1 Na4 12.Bd3 Nd7 13.c6 bxc6 14.Rd2 e5 15.fxe5 Nxe5 “Black’s superior development and pawn structure offset White’s bishop pair.”) 9…Bxc3+ 10.bxc3 f5 11.c4 fxe4 12.Rc1 Na6 “Although the dark squares near Black’s king are weak, White is poorly developed.”
8…Nc6 9.0–0–0 Na5
A sideline, and Jota retreats the knight the very next move, so I assume the point behind it is to loosen up the squares around the White king? Anyway, main lines are:
9…Qd6 to put pressure on d4 with …Rd8;
9…e5?! is no longer recommended. After 10.d5 Nd4 11.f4 c5 White will be going for Nf3 and after knights are exchanged Black “is clearly worse”;
9…f5 “is the most promising” 10.e5 Nb4 11.Nh3 with an exciting game ahead.
10.b3 Nc6 11.h4 f5 12.e5 h5?!
[12…a5 is more in the spirit of the line]
13.Bh6?
[13.Nh3-f4 is indicated. The text move allows 13…Qxd4, forcing the exchange of queens after which Black is better]
13…e6
But Black lets slip the opportunity to take out the queens and Turqueza does not make any more slips.
14.Bxg7 Kxg7 15.Nh3 Qxh4
[15…a5 is still possible]
16.Bb5 Qe7 17.g4 h4 18.Ng5 f4
[18…Rh8 19.gxf5 exf5 20.f4 White’s attack continues unabated]
19.Nce4 Rh8 20.Kb2 Nd5 21.Qf2 Bd7
Remember a few columns ago I wrote about the principle of “Loose Pieces Drop Off” (LPDO)? The reason behind this move is to threaten …Bxe5 and the white bishop on b5 is loose. It doesn’t work in this particular position though because White’s offensive on the h-file is too strong.
22.Rh3 Nxe5 23.dxe5 Bxb5 24.Rdh1 Nb4 <D>
POSITION AFTER 24…NB4
Threatening Nd3+
25.Qxh4!
[25.Rxh4?? Nd3+]
25…Nd3+ 26.Kb1 Rxh4 27.Rxh4
Black has no defense to the rook incursion on the 7th rank.
27…Rg8 28.Rh7+ Kf8 29.Nf6 Nxe5 30.Rxe7 1–0
We will take up a few more games from this year’s NCAA Chess Championship on Thursday.
Bobby Ang is a founding member of the National Chess Federation of the Philippines (NCFP) and its first Executive Director. A Certified Public Accountant (CPA), he taught accounting in the University of Santo Tomas (UST) for 25 years and is currently Chief Audit Executive of the Equicom Group of Companies.
