After 3-day drought, Cagayan de Oro harvests 5 chess gold medals in Vigan

ILOCOS SUR, Philippines – Chess broke the silence of the Cagayan de Oro delegation in the medal race as its players harvested the team’s first five golds during the 2022 Batang Pinoy National Championships on Tuesday night, December 20.

Cagayan de Oro created noise after a three-day medal drought as its chess team dominated Tuesday’s nationwide chess competition in Baluarte, Vigan City.

Eleven-year-old Zhaoyu Capilitan, a sixth grader at the Father William Masterson Elementary School, Cagayan de Oro City, shone the brightest in the chess competition as she topped the 11-year-old and younger girls class with a perfect five points for her first gold.

Capilitan’s tandem with Azhzley Aya Nicole Paquinol also produced two golds in team blitz and team standard events.

“Her parents are here with us in Vigan to support her. We just hope that Capilitan’s success in Batang Pinoy could lead to giving comfort to her family someday,” said her coach Renan Cantilado of Capilitan whose parents work as store workers in Cagayan de Oro.

Fresh from leading the Far Eastern University-Diliman High School into a sweeping title finish in the UAAP 85 Chess Championships, the 14-year-old Ruelle Canino of Barangay Bonbon, Cagayan de Oro, bagged the individual gold in the same girls’ age category. 

“Her Kuya Ronron helps in coaching her in Vigan. And I told him not to pressure and just let our little Tawing (Canino) enjoy the game because she was already exhausted from the UAAP games. Glory to God, her gold finish in Vigan is already a bonus!” her mother Maria Gina told Rappler.

Mary Janelle Tan, Team Cagayan de Oro’s reinforcement from Jasaan town, Misamis Oriental, dominated the nine-year-old girls and younger bracket, bringing to five Cagayan de Oro’s chess gold medals.

The rapid event is in progress as of this posting and could bring more gold for the team from Northern Mindanao’s capital city during the week-long event in Vigan, which entered the last day of action on Wednesday, December 21.

The other young chess players who bagged gold medals as individuals are the following:

• Cedric Kahlel Abris from Mandaluyong (15-year-old boys and younger, blitz category)
• Ericka Ordizo from Pangasinan (15-year-old girls and younger, blitz category)
• Ryien Bahita from Canlaon City (13-year-old girls and younger, blitz category)
• Sumer Justine Oncita from Pasig City (13-year-old boys and younger, blitz category)
• Kaye Lalaine Regidor from Santa Rosa City (13-year-old girls and younger, standard category)
• Arena Fide Master Janin Dhrey Querequere from Misamis Oriental (11-year-old girls and younger, blitz category)
• Mar Aviel Carredo from Quezon City (11-year-old boys and younger, blitz and standard categories)
• Mica Claire Clar from Iloilo City (11-year-old girls and younger, blitz category)
• Caleb Royce Garcia from Taguig City (nine-year-old boys and younger, standard)
• Jay Emmanuel Sotaridona from Iloilo City (nine-year-old boys and younger, blitz category)

– Rappler.com