FILIPINO Grandmaster (GM) Rogelio “Joey” Antonio Jr. (elo 2427) outlasted Canadian David Filipovich (elo 2050) in 39 moves of Caro-Kann defense using the white pieces in the second round of the FIDE World Seniors 2019 Chess Championships Wednesday held at the Rin Grand Hotel in Bucharest, Romania.

Rafa Nadal was on the verge of a loss, and, as he admitted in the aftermath, considering that he would shortly be leaving the court. “In that moment, what you think is probably in five minutes, you are in the locker room,” he recounted. He was down 1-5 and 30-40 in the deciding set, and, facing a determined Daniil Medvedev, figured the end was near. He hadn’t exactly been playing well, and he was realistic enough to consider a second straight setback. Yet, if there was anything he could also count on doing, it was fighting for every point with the contest still in doubt.

THE University of Santo Tomas Growling Tigers completed an impressive sweep of the step-ladder semifinals in UAAP Season 82, defeating the University of the Philippines Fighting Maroons, 68-65, in their knockout match on Wednesday at the Mall of Asia Arena.

THE Philippine men’s national football team begins a key stretch in its FIFA World Cup qualifying bid today as it takes on Maldives in an away Group A match in Male.

ROCKED by issues on betting and game-fixing, the Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League (MPBL) expressed determination to move past these and make the league even better.

THE Northport Batang Pier put an end to the winning streak of the NLEX Road Warriors in the Philippine Basketball Association Governors’ Cup, defeating the latter, 102-94, on Wednesday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

WHILE National Basketball Association games have yet to find a permanent venue to be aired on television locally, fans have to make do for now of weekend airings of the matches by way of national free-to-air channel CNN Philippines.

Flashback to the 1963--1964 USA Championship. Bobby Fischer won all of his games (11 out of 11, many of them in brilliant fashion) to win the title. The 2^nd placer was Larry Evans, a full 3.5 points behind at 7.5/11

Kawhi Leonard’s disposition in the aftermath of the Clippers’ match the other day wasn’t that of a proud competitor who just had his worst outing of the season. In fact, he was decidedly upbeat, clearly an offshoot of the outcome. For all his travails, he helped carve victory in his new digs at the expense of the Raptors, his immediate past teammates. They had, and still have, relationships outside the court that made, and make, results on it matter. And, even on a night where he made just two of 11 shots and could have had a tainted quadruple-double had he committed another turnover with an assist, the bragging rights were his.

THE Letran Knights drew first blood in the best-of-three National Collegiate Athletic Association finals series after defeating the defending champions San Beda Red Lions, 65-64, in Game One on Tuesday at the Mall of Asia Arena.

THE University of the Philippines Fighting Maroons and University of Santo Tomas Growling Tigers make one last go for a spot in the finals of UAAP Season 82 in a do-or-die match in their step-ladder semifinal joust today at the Mall of Asia Arena.

CROSS-SECTOR efforts to develop the sport of football from the grassroots bore further fruit with the staging of the Luzon Cup next week.