Curioso rules Cabanatuan chessfest
CABANATUAN CITY — Veteran Romulo Curioso, Sr. emerged as the winner in Group B of the 2nd Christian-Muslim blitz chess tournament held at the Deluxe Hotel and Restaurant.
The 60-year-old Curioso, father of former National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) chess standout Jet Curioso Jr., finished with a perfect score of five points.
He won over nine-year-old chess wonder Millery Gen Subia in the final round of the five-round Swiss System tournament organized by the Cabanatuan City Chess Club headed by former youth top chesser, Senior Fire Officer 2 Benjamin Bauto.
Subia, who placed fourth in last year’s National Age Group Chess Hybrid finals, finished second with four points.
Uunheralded Hamilton Amirias trounced Nueva Ecija’s top veteran chess player, election officer Leonardo Navarro, in the penultimate round and won again in the last round for a perfect score of five points to rule the Group A competition.
Navarro settled for runner-uphonor with four points.
Placing third in Groups A and B, respectively, were Louie Rian and Edwin Reyes.
The chess competition was graced by Palayan City mayoral aspirant Vianne J. Cuevas, who made the ceremonial first move with Bauto to kick off the tournament.
Cuevas, daughter of gubernatorial bet and outgoing Palayan City mayor Rianne J. Cuevas, also sponsored the participation of seven young chess players from the city in the one-day chessfest.
She said the chessfest serves as a wonderful avenue for building camaraderie and unity in sports as the country moves towards the “new normal.”
