Davao's Samantha Umayan gets 2nd place in the national online chess tournament

 

DAVAO CITY---Promising Davaoena chesser Samantha Umayan continues to make waves in online chess this pandemic.

Umayan placed second in the national online chess tournament International Arbiter/National Master Wilfredo Neri Online Memorial Chess tournament last October 4.

The Far Eastern University high chess varsity player placed second in the kiddies division of the category featuring the top chessers in the 14 and under division in the Philippines.

Umayan won P300 as a prize for her win.

The chess tournament was organized earlier to honor the late IA/NM Wilfredo Neri who is a prominent figure in Philippine chess.

Last June 13-15, Umayan helped the Philippines represented by the Far Eastern University high school team secure a second-place finish in the 

Inter Academy International Online U18 Rapid Chess Championship.

The FEU team fell short against the host and powerhouse chess team Chess Academy of Armenia in the finals 1-5.

Despite the loss, the Philippine team is still very happy with its performance against some of the top high school chess teams around the world.

The Philippines reached the finals earlier after beating the  World of Chess Academy of Kazakhstan in the semifinals.

Coming into the tournament, Umayan is upbeat with her performance since she represented the country in the  Eastern Asia Juniors and Girls Chess Championship hosted by the Philippines in Tanauan City, Batangas last December 9-16, 2019.

In the  82nd season of the UAAP on October 27, Umayan secured the bronze medal in the UAAP high school girls division.

Umayan’s performance also helped FEU secure a second-place finish in the team competition of the tournament behind champion National University.

Before her bronze medal performance, the 12-year-old Umayan also helped the Philippines’ campaign in the 29th ASEAN+ Age-Group Chess Championships in Mandalay, Myanmar in June of this year. 

Umayan joined forces with Mhage Gerriahlou Sebastian and Lovely Ann Heraldino to help the Philippines get 15 points in the international chess tournament, which was eventually won by Vietnam.

In the girls’ 14-below standard division, the Davaoeña and her teammates scored 14 points behind the champion Vietnam team. 

The Filipino trio also got another silver in the rapid division (11.5) behind champion Vietnam (16.5).

The resident of Barangay Buhangin got the slot to compete in the ASEAN chessfest after she got a bronze medal in the 2019 National Age-Group Chess Championships in Metro Manila.(Romeo Braceros Jr.)

3 Mindanaoan kids shines bright in online chess during COVID-19 pandemic

DAVAO CITY---The coronavirus pandemic might cause fear and anxiety to many people around the world.
But the COVID-19 pandemic has not dampen the spirit of three kids from Mindanao who brought honor to their city and the Philippines in general in online chess.
Christian Gian Karlo Arca, a promising male chess player from Panabo City, Davao del Norte brought cheers to the Philippines after he  won third place in the tough  International Friendship Children's Online Chess U15 Tournament.
Arca scored five points after seven rounds to placed third in the chessfest won by Nejc Herega of Slovania who scored six points and Roman Dehtiarov of Ukriane who placed second after scoring 5.5 points.
Aside from Arca, James Catayas a 12-year-old teen from Buhangin, Davao City scored two upset wins against two foreign Grandmasters.

Catayas, a student of SDA Elementary School scored an upset win against 34-year-old Polish grandmaster  Zbigniew  Pakleza in an online friendly chess match last June 6.
The win against Pakleza is a huge boost to the promising chess career of Catayas since the latter is ranked 773 in the world.
Pakleza is also one of the top chess players in Poland as he is ranked 30th in his homeland.
Earlier, Catayas made headlines after he a 27-year-old grandmaster from India in an online friendly chess match on May 23.
James Catayas upset GM Mishra Swayams, who is currently ranked 878 in the world and 44th in India.
Catayas, a regular player for Davao City in local, national, and international junior chess tournaments, is very happy to have won against the two experienced players.
Meanwhile, Promising Davaoena chesser Samantha Umayan helped the Philippines represented by the Far Eastern University high school team secure a second place finish in the Inter Academy International Online U18 Rapid Chess Championship last June 13-15.

The FEU team fell short against the host and powerhouse chess team Chess Academy of Armenia in the finals 1-5.
Despite the loss, the Philippine team is still very happy with their performance against some of the top high school chess teams around the world.
The Philippines reached the finals earlier after beating the  World of Chess Academy of Kazakhstan in the semifinals.(Romeo Braceros Jr.)