INQUIRER Sports

MERBEN ROQUE of Cebu City captured the title in the "Tulak Mo...Sulong Ko”, One Manila rapid non-master chess tournament held recently at SM Manila.

Roque, who is fresh from winning the Baguio Non-Master rapid chess, scored 6.5 points in seven outings, the same output of eventual runner-up Christian Arroyo of Cagayan de Oro City, third placer Nelson Mariano III, fourth placer Sherwin Tiu of Manila and fifth placer Garry Garcia of Mandaluyong City.

Roque went home with the title with a superior tie break score of 35 points against Arroyo's 33.5 points, Mariano's 30.5 points, Tiu's 28.5 points and Garcia's 24.5 points.

All of them received P5,200 each after splitting the combined prize of P26,000 for the top five finishers.

Rizal Technological University (RTU) Mandaluyong ace Richelieu Salcedo III, who hails from Cagayan De Oro, won the junior title.

Organized by One Manila group in close cooperation with Adamson head coach Christopher Rodriguez and sportsman Erick Valbuena, the one-day event, which attracted 266 players, was supervised by 1996 RP Junior champion NM/NA Roberto Suelo Jr. /Correspondent Marlon Bernardino