INTERNATIONAL master Rolando Nolte emerged as the champion in the 2022 Masskara individual rapid chess championship held in Bacolod City over the weekend.

Nolte finished in a three-way tie for first place with GM Rogelio Antonio, Jr. and FM Mari Joseph Turqueza with 7.5 points out of a possible nine, but clinched the title by virtue of higher tiebreak score.

Nolte had six wins and three draws in the nine-round Swiss system tournament.

Antonio, who drew with Nolte in the fifth round, also finished with six wins and three draws.

Antonio, the top player of PCAP champion Iloilo Kisela Knights, had a chance to win the title outright, but he settled for a draw with IM Ronald Bancod in the ninth and final round.

Nolte, on the other hand, won over No. 26 seed Christian Arroyo.

Turqueza defeated IM Richelieu Salcedo III in the final round to join Nolte and Antonio in first place.

Turqueza had seven wins, one draw against Antonio and one loss against Nolte.

Three players — Ted Ian Montoyo, Merben Roque and Bancod — finished in a tie for fourth to sixth places with seven points.

Montoyo outplayed Sonny Pasco, Roque clobbered Samson Labrador and Bancod drew with Antonio in the final round.

World IPCA champion FM Sander Severino took seventh placewith 6.5 points following a final-round victory over Alfed Acaling III.

Severino actually finished in a tie with Salcedo, Marvin Ting, Allan Cantonjos, Nelson. Villanueva and, Rommel Ganzon, who also had 6.5 points.

IM Chito Garma led a big group of players with six points.

The group included female players WIM Jan Jodilyn Fronda and Bernadette Galas, who defeated Modesuito Asero and Robert Halili, respectively.

Also in the group of six pointers are IM Barlo Nadera, Xavier John Verdun, Christian Arroyo, Samsn Labrador, FM Christopher Castellano, Sonny Pasco, Ernie Abanco, Danmaersk Abangao, and Adrian Perez.

WGM Janelle Mae Frayna and IMs Angelo Young and Kim Steven Yap lead another big group of players with 5.5 points.

Final standings:

7.5 points — R. Nolte, R. Antonio, M. Turqueza
7 — T. Montoyo, M. Roque, R. Bancod
6.5 – S. Severino, R. Salcedo, M. Ting, A. Cantonjos, N. Villanueva, R. Ganzon
6 — C. Garma, B. Nadera, J. Fronda, X. Verdun, B. Galas, C. Arroyo, S. Labrador, C. Castellano, S. Pasco, E. Abanco, D, Mangao, A. Perez.