Veteran blitz player Kevin Arquero won the Pozorrubio Town Fiesta Rapid Chess Tournament on January 11, 2025 in Pozorrubio, Pangasinan, Philippines
The Pasay City resident Arquero, who plays for the Philippine Army chess team, defeated former solo leader Robert Halili of Mabalacat City, Pampanga in the seventh and final round to score 6.5 points enrout to the coveted title.
Arquero receive the top purse of P10,000 for his effort in this event sponsored by Mayor Kelvin Tan, Vice Mayor Engineer Ernesto “Snooky” Salcedo III and SK Municipal Federation President/ SK Chairman Vince Karl Thirdy Sarmiento, in line with its grassroots chess development program.
Jhulo Goloran of Meycauayan City, Bulacan beat Genghis Imperial of Manila to tie Halili and Romy Fagon of Urdante City, Pangasinan for 2nd to 4th placers with 6.0 points each.
Halili’s second place finish earned him P5,000, while the third place went to Goloran to earn P3,000 and Fagon landed in fourth place to pocket P2,000.
The fifth to 10th placers were Alexis Emil Maribao of Cavite City (5.5 points), Ricardo Batcho of Quezon City (5.5 points), Jenric Curt Aquino of Calasiao City, Pangasinan (5.5 points), Sherwin Tiu of Manila (5.0 points), Imperial (5.0 points) and Rodney Palaming of Urdaneta City, Pangasinan (5.0 points).
Earlier, Retired Judge Jose Vallo and Vice Mayor Engineer Ernesto “Snooky” Salcedo III, made the ceremonial moves kicking off the one-day tournament also graced by Councilor Dennis Uy and SK Municipal Federation President/ SK Chairman Vince Karl Thirdy Sarmiento.
Meanwhile, 11 years old Henrick Marello Balanos won the top Pozorrubio kiddies award while 15 years old Irish Ysabel Salcedo of Pozorrubio, Pangasinan is the lone survivor of the 12 board simultaneous chess exhibition performed by Arena Grandmaster Almario Marlon Quiroz Bernardino Jr.
In the 12 simultaneous games he did, Bernardino won 11 games and loss to Irish Ysabel Salcedo.-Marlon Bernardino