Pasig City's Labog wins PCAP Champion League Open

MANILA – Marc Kevin Labog of Pasig City King Pirates won the ninth leg of the Professional Chess Association of the Philippines (PCAP) Champions League Open last Sunday to secure his place in the Grand Finals of Tournament of Champions in July.

"I am so happy because for the first time, my mother was able to watch me play," the 27-year-old native of Solano, Nueva Vizcaya said in an interview on Tuesday.

"My mother, who works in Hong Kong, is on vacation here in Nueva Vizcaya and it so happened that there's also a tournament, so I joined it," added Labog, who lives in Pasig.

Around 90 chess players participated in the tournament held at SM City, Tuguegarao City, Cagayan.

Labog, one of the top players of BPO Olympics champion Datamatics Chess Team, and Angelo Medina of Cabuyao City, Laguna finished the tournament with similar 6.5 points. The winner was decided via tiebreak points.

The other leg winners who qualified for the grand finals set July 19-21 at Greenhills Mall, Ortigas, San Juan City are FIDE Master (FM) Ellan Asuela (Leg 1, Ozamis Chess 7 in 1 Team Festival); Kevin Arquero (Leg 2, HUbstar Open Invitational); Omar Bagalacsa (Leg 3, Pasig Battle of the Masters); John Philip Gabuco (Leg 4, Puerto Princesa Open Chess Challenge); International Master (IM) Daniel Quizon (Leg 5, Chairman's Cup); FM Austin Jacob Literatus (Leg 6, Davao); Virgen Gil Ruaya (Leg 7, Camarines Sur); and IM Kim Steven Yap (Leg 8, Cebu).

Joining them are 13-time Philippine Open Champion Grandmaster Rogelio "Joey" Antonio Jr. (PCAP Season 3 All Filipino Conference Best Player); IM Joel Banawa (PCAP Season 3 Co-Best Player); and Woman FIDE Master Cherry Ann Mejia (PCAP Season 3 Co-Best Player).

PCAP Chairman Michael Angelo Ong Chua said the Grand Finals, which will have a round-robin format, offers P80,000, P30,000 and P20,000 to the top three winners. Fourth to 12th placers will receive P5,000 each. (PNA)