OZAMIZ — FM Ellan Asuela emerged as the solo champion in the first Gov. Henry S. Oaminal 8-in-1 Chess Festival rapid competition held at the Ozamiz City Auditorium here Sunday.

Asuela, looking fit as a fiddle, swept his first eight matches with surprising ease before drawing the ninth and final round to capture the championship in this prestigious competition organized by Asenso Misamis Occidental Chess Association president Rey Urbiztondo in honor of Gov. Oaminal.

The 35-year-old, Negros-born Asuela, who is best remembered for ruling the Kasparov Chess Foundation Asia-Pacific (KCFAP) Absolute Challenge held in Singapore last December, finished with 8.5 points in the nine-round competition held as part of Misamis Occidental’s 94th founding anniversary celebrations.

“Swerte lang dahil maganda tira ko dito kahit madaming malalakas din na kalaban. Magandang pamasko ito,” said Asuela, the third among four children of Elmo and Maria Fe, a councilor in Bacolod.

With the win, Asuela pocketed the top prize of P60,000.

His team, Mindmovers, also bagged the rapid team championship and the whopping P200,000 cash prize.

With Asuela in the team are David Rey Ancheta and Roberto Pablito Salomon.

Asuela, who learned to play chess from his father and uncle at the age of four, finished half a point ahead of top seed FM David Elorta and a full point ahead of Ozamiz Armageddon: Battle of Champions winner FM Alekhine Nouri and NM Rommel Ganzon.

The Cagayan de Oro City-based Asuela defeated Lito Dormitorio in the first round, AGM Lyndon Lumancas in the second round, Jerry Areque in the third round, Jefte Crebillo in the fourth round, IM Richelieu Salcedo III in the fifth round, John Cyrus Borce in the sixth round, Nouri in the seventh round and IM Joel Pimentel in the eighth round.

He split the point with Ganzon in the ninth and final round.

Elorta, the highest-rated player in the 150-player with an ELO of 2453, outdueled Pimentel in the ninth and final round to clinch solo second place and P40 000.

Nouri, who ruled the Armageddon: Battle of Champions last Saturday, outplayed John Dave Lavandero to finish in a two-way tie with Ganzon with 7.5 points.

The two split the P20 000 and P10,000 cash prizes for third and fourth placers.

Four players, led by Hangzhou Asian Games veteran GM Darwin Laylo and Ealcedo, shared fifth to eighth places with seven points.

Laylo outclassed Rodney Opada while Salcedo blasted Nazario Ubanan to boost their standings.

With Laylo and Salcedo are NM Paulo James Florendo, who trounced Jordan Gadayan and Jayson Salubre, who clobbered John Francis Mirano.

Fourteen players, including IMs Rolando Nolte, Roderick Nava and Kim Steven Yap, Asian Para Games gold medalist Henry Lopez and Allan Cantonjos, have 6.5 points.

The rapid chess competition is one of highlights of the 8-in-1 Chess Festival which opened Friday with Ozamiz City Mayor Indy Oaminal and Asia’s first GM Eugene Torre in attendance.

Last Saturday, Nouri continued his rise in the local chess hierarchy by ruling the“Battle of Champions” also at the Ozamiz City auditorium.

Nouri, who rose to prominence by becoming the country’s youngest FIDE Master at age seven in June 2013, finished with 6.5 points on five wins, three draws and one loss in the 10-player tournament held in this beautiful Mindanao city noted for the centuries-old Fuerte de la Concepcion del Triunfo and the Mount Malindang Nature Park.

Final standings after nine rounds:

8.5 points — E. Asuela
8 — D. Elorta
7.5 — A. Nouri, R. Ganzon
7 — D.Laylo. R. Salcedo, P. Florendo, J. Salubre
6.5 — J. Pimentel, J. Borce, R. Nava, V. Medina, R. Sadia, D. Ancheta, Alji Cantonjos, R Nolte, K. Yap, Allan Cantonjos, J. Ablin, H. Lopez, J. Manlimbana, J. Lavanderos.