Fide master Christian Mark Daluz finished his high school National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) tour of duty for Letran with a gold medal, even as St. Benilde sent two quarterfinalists in the seniors bracket.
Daluz swept all five of his matches in the online tournament to dominate the category, besting in the first round last year’s MVP, Gal Brien Palasigue of San Beda. It was his third gold medal overall.
St. Benilde’s John Michael Magpily and Adrian Othniel Yulo made it to the Final Eight. But they will have to go at each other to gain a spot in the seniors semis.
Magpily crushed Perpetual’s Genesis Mateo Borromeo in the Round of 16. He and Yulo were joined by Letran’s Nel Richmond Miranda, Perpetual’s Carl Sirex Sato, Arellano’s Carl Ancheta, Jose Rizal’s Avel Baldovia, Lyceum’s Neymark Digno and Mapua’s John Paolo Gaspar Medina.
Semis will have a knockout format with the losers disputing third place.
Quarterfinal matches will allow just 10 minutes for each player, but semifinalists have the luxury of 15 minutes each to make their moves. The finals will give 20 minutes for each competitor.
In winning the gold, Daluz also downed Jerome Angelo Aragones of Perpetual, Jasper Faeldonia of Arellano, Paul Matthew Llanillo of Lyceum and Leonel Escote also of Lyceum.