Seriña, Yulo top chessfest for students

Lila Alyssa Seriña and Adrian Othniel Patricio Yulo stole the show and prevented the usual champions from dominating the GCF Students FIDE-Rated Rapid Chess Championships held at the Activity Center of Ayala-Centrio Mall in Cagayan de Oro City on Saturday, January 21.

The 12-year-old Seriña finished the tournament without a loss to rule the elementary division even as Adrian Othniel Patricio Yulo of De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde bagged the title in the mixed secondary and college division in this one-day FIDE-rated chess tournament for students.

Coming from a tough draw with top-seeded Quarl Maverick Vera Cruz in the penultimate round, Seriña defeated Miykael Jerahmiel Lapad in the seventh and final round to finish with 6.5 points in snaring the elementary crown and the P3,000 purse.

Defending elementary champion Ashley Aya Nicole Paquinol struggled and dropped to 17th place with only 4.0 points to show.

On the other hand, Yulo turned down the challenge of Keith Adriane Ilar in the final round then edged fellow 6-pointers Ronald Canino and Karl Auguste Xander Sayson in the Bucholz tiebreaker to claim the juniors crown and pocket the P3,000 purse.

Romeo Canino’s title-retention bid was stalled by a series of draws that relegated him to fourth spot with 5.5 points.