MENTAL toughness allowed the Lady Woodpushers to adjust to variously-paced matches to notch an impressive six-point margin of victory. They scored 31 points with Far Eastern University (FEU) a distant second with 25.
In UST’s wins, the opposition lasted about 35 moves before eventually losing. However, it was their performances in drawn-out matches, none bigger than their two three-hour match victories over bridesmaids FEU in the first and second rounds on board four, which gave them crucial points to win the title even before their final match against the University of the Philippines.
“A chess match is a test of mental toughness and a matter of who manages to keep his or her wits up until the later stages of a match because, at times, a game can last up to four hours,” Dableo told the Varsitarian. “And I train my players to have keen concentration and to shun such mental lapses and concentrate on their moves.
Aside from the usual training to make the right moves, Dableo emphasized that the psychological battle between players also play a vital role in winning.
“In chess, winning is not determined only by a player’s talent, but also how a player fares in the ‘psychological battle’ that takes place at the same time as the match itself,” Dableo said.
Dableo added that he tells his players to not immediately jump the gun should they see a moment of weakness. Even if they do see a hole in the opponent’s gameplan, they should still consider other options because they might come across one that will foil the ploy of the opponent.
Big Four
There were four tricky masterminds who bannered UST’s successful title-retention bid.
Nutrition major and team captain Maria Zayrah dela Cruz had 8.5 points (a draw earns half a point) out of a possible 10 in her gold medal run on board two. Dela Cruz has been a UST stalwart for three years now and was once the number one chess player in Laguna as a high school senior.
“In the competition, we had to prepare for short or drawn-out matches, it was fortunate that we were able to adjust.” Dela Cruz said.
UST’s Geneline de Ramos finished not far behind dela Cruz as she also bagged a gold medal, winning eight of ten games in board three. The Commerce major is a three-year UAAP veteran and was a part of the University of the East High School chess varsity team that bagged the UAAP juniors chess title four years ago. She went to UST for college due to a recommendation from Dableo.
Romelin Guerra also showed great composure in tight contests to win the gold to register 5.5 points out of the possible seven on board four. She was also the number one NCR player four years back.
As expected, Philippine team member and UST rookie Sherily Cua made impact in her UAAP debut by pocketing silver on board one, claiming 7.5 points out of 10.
