Yulo, Ancheta gain in Shell CdO chess

MANILA, Philippines -  Top seeds Adrian Yulo and David Ancheta lived up to their billing and swept their first six matches to seize the solo lead in their respective divisions in the Shell National Youth Active Chess Championships Northern Mindanao leg at SM City in Cagayan de Oro last Saturday.

Yulo trampled Jeshryl Abay-Abay, Althea Borres, Rafael Calingin, Christian Aquino and Grant Capilitan before the Xavier U High School ace toppled No. 2 Joy Baclayon to emerge the solo leader in the juniors division of the three-category event sponsored by Pilipinas Shell.

Ancheta matched that six-point output with a dominant start in the kiddies section as the top Corpus Christi HS bet downed Maxine Granido, Ridge Fernandez, James Cadavos, Jean Acebes, Aireen Noblijas and Joseph dela Rama to post a half-point lead over second seed Prince Mella of Anahaway ES and unfancied Lance Magloyuan, also of Corpus.

Three, meanwhile, shared the lead in the seniors class with top seed Romeo Canino, No. 2 Ahmad Ali Azote and ninth-ranked Emmanuel Acierto scoring five points each, also half-a-point ahead of Arden Biad.

Close to 300 players are competing in the third leg of the five-stage circuit marking the milestone 25th staging of the country’s biggest and longest talent-search graced by Cagayan de Oro Mayor Oscar Moreno.

Mayor Moreno and Patrick Pecson, technical support executive of Shell’s North Mindanao Import Facility, made the ceremonial moves kicking off the nine-round, two-day tournament sanctioned by the National Chess Federation of the Philippines.