Café Ligbeans Chess Team with FIDE Master Anthony Makinano at the helm came out unscathed with six wins and two draws in the recently concluded 6th edition of the CaféLigbeans Chess Team Championshipheld last weekend at the Island City Mall this City.
The champion team managed by its proprietor, Arif Moses amassed 33.5 points from a possible total score of 48 pointsto grab the top prize, worth P7,000.00, plus the Café Ligbeans Revolving Cup in this two-day chess event participated in by nine chess teams.
Cebu City based Makinano of Anda town placed second fiddle to Doy’s Chess Team’s top board player, Norman Longjas in the individual event after finishing with 6.5 points on account of five wins and three draws.Longjas has seven wins and a single draw.
San Miguel’s Noel Rey Gullan surprised Makinano in the first round with a perpetual check and split their game but it was Gullan’s team captain, Neilson Redulla who got caught his fancied rival, Joselito ‘Lito Pawns’ Dabalos in board two  with an inevitable mate in two moves at the back rank that pushed Team San Miguel ahead of their favored rival. The highly contested encounter turned nerve-wracking action when suddenly, Café Ligbeans’ lower boards led by University of Cebu’s WelfredoBesinga and three recent CVIRAA players Kenneth Acedilla, GeaMuring and Angel Mae Hibaya subdued one by one,JhunreyAlimpolos, James Boncales, Jay Anne Jabines and EttelMaurieDeligero respectively in the six-man chess team competition that put Café Ligbeansfor good in their first match, 4.5-1.5 pts
Our Lady of Lourdes Parish-Tagbilaran with Team Captain JenesisApogat the top board, came in runner up with 30.5 pts, on the basis of five wins, one draw and two losses. Apog was backstopped by Gamaliel Abucejo, Marc Bryan Abucejo, Lester Belano, Marievel Bustamante and Boholympics gold medalist (14-17 yrs old) Ma. Fe Aligam of Corella. They received P 4,000.00 cash.
Candidate Master Glenn PardilloJr led- Team Holy Name Universitysettled at third place with a score of 29.5 pts. They were soundly beaten by the BAYCE Chess Team, (1.5-4.5 pts) in the 3rd round, but came back strong in the last three rounds to snatch third place ahead of BAYCE. The lone victory was submitted by BAYCE President &recent Boholympics Chess Queen Stella Marie Celada who was able to extract full point from a drawish position against  BAYCE’s Vice-President Kowloon Sit who was under extreme time pressure with seconds to finish the game, while HNU’s board # 3Avito Ronald Jubacmanaged to contribute half point after he drew with BAYCE’s Treasurer Joshua Viva. Pardillo, GioBernaldez, Reishi Boy Polan and CharinaButal, all suffered unusual defeats against Johnny Torralba, Jose Macute, GarryKasBernaldez&NelissaLopecillo respectively. They shared the P 2,000.00 cash prize.
Top seeded BAYCE Chess Team has a total score of 28 pointsand placed fourth on the account of four wins, three draws and a single loss. BAYCE’s auditor and University of Bohol’s top lady player NelissaLopecillo, showed her deep mastery in this mental game when she made a  perfect score 8 pts out of 8 games in her board five assignment. Her lady partner at board six, Holy Name University’s varsity player, Kowloon Sit also made an exemplary showing as she chipped in for the team with  six points. Other members of the team were indefatigable Jose Macute, boyish-looking Joshua Viva and gutsy Garry KasBernaldez.
DOY’s Chess Club of Norman Longjas placed fifth with 26.5 points while National Master Elmer Sumngat’sDauis Chess Team has 23.5 points for a seventh place finish.
“The success of my team in this inaugural chess team competitions shows that a solid team work despite the absence of team practice can take you to the top,” Arif Moses said. “That’s what we are trying to establish – a solid team work that aims to develop and discipline our young players. Again, I am very much thankful to the ICM Management through its Mall Manager Mario Cirujales and his able deputy, Ma’am Karen Longjas for their continuing support to this chess cause by providing us the venue most fit for a bigger event such as this chess team competition and to the BAYCE family who did all the best to make this highly anticipated chess team event a great success†added Arif Moses
Top board medalists were the following:
board # 1            -             Norman Longjas                              (DOY’s Chess Club)
board # 2            -             Joselito ‘Pawn’ Dabalos (Café Ligbeans Chess Team)
board # 3            -             WelfredoBesinga                            (Café Ligbeans Chess Team)
board # 4            -             PhiligymVillajuan                             (DOY’s Chess Club)
board # 5            -             NelissaLopecillo                               (BAYCE Chess Team)
board # 6            -             Stella Marie Celada                        (Team HNU)
Meanwhile, the next chess activity is the “Beat a Kid Chess Master on Father’s Day†@ BQ Atrium this afternoon at 3:00 pm. (RenzkiLigan)