University of Santo Tomas reasserted its dominance in collegiate chess by capturing the men’s title, while Far Eastern University secured the women’s crown in the UAAP Season 88 Collegiate Blitz Chess Championships held Sunday at the Adamson Gym.
The España-based squad delivered a composed and consistent performance throughout the finals to clinch the championship, finishing ahead of a stacked field that saw Far Eastern University settle for first runner-up and De La Salle University place third in the men’s division.
UST head coach and Grandmaster-elect Ronald Dableo emphasized how their strong elimination-round performance translated into a crucial edge in the finals.
“Yung pag-top seed nila sa elimination ngayon, naging morale boost din nila ’yon. Napakiramdaman din yung playing field eh. Napaganda pa yung line-up namin. Umilalim yung (FM Mark) Daluz at (NM Chester) Reyes. Dun hirap na hirap yung FEU eh kasi wipeout yung ilalim lagi,” said Dableo.
The UST Male Woodpushers easily dispatched Ateneo, 3.5-0.5, 3-1, 3-1, in the semifinals to set up a rematch against FEU, which hurdled La Salle, 4-0, 2.5-1.5, 1.5-2.5, 2-2, in the other semifinal pairing.
In the finals, UST opened the series with a dominant 4-0 sweep, followed by a narrow 2.5-1.5 win in Round 2 before clinching the title with a 2-2 draw in Round 3.
UST’s title run was anchored by key performances across the boards, highlighted by gold medal finishes from Jan Clifford Labog (Board 2), Christian Mark Daluz (Board 3), Chester Neil Reyes (Board 4), and Carl Daluz (Board 6). Vince Pascual added a silver medal on Board 5.
In the women’s division, FEU edged Ateneo in a tightly contested semifinal series, 2-2, 2.5-1.5, 2.5-1.5, before engaging La Salle in a gripping finals showdown.
After settling for 2-2 draws in the first two rounds, the Morayta-based squad found its breakthrough in Round 3, with Woman National Master Vic Glysen Derotas delivering a crucial win on Board 2 to power a 3-1 victory.
The Lady Tamaraws sustained their momentum to close out the series with another 3-1 win in Round 4.
Derotas capped off FEU’s dominant campaign by clinching the MVP award following a gold medal finish on Board 3.
