UST MALE Woodpusher and reigning UAAP MVP Timothy So Kua registered 7.5 points in nine games to top the junior boys’ division of the 21st Shell National Youth Active Chess Championships at the SM Megamall Event Center last May 29 and 30.
So Kua racked up seven wins, one draw and a loss in the National Capital Region leg of the competition to tie Arellano University’s Kyz Llantada at first place. With the finish, he will compete in the grand finals for the first time on Sept. 14 and 15 at the same venue.
“I’m very happy because this is my first time to enter the grand finals [of Shell] after several tries since I was a kid,” So Kua said. “I can use what I learned here in the UAAP.”
The Marketing junior started strong after defeating Ramon Magsaysay High School’s Mark Villarante, Tanauan City’s Dave Mar Prado, National University (NU)’s John Ray Batucan and Kristian Cristobal of University of the Philippines (UP).
So Kua suffered his lone loss at the hands of eventual seventh-placer Franz Grafil of De La Salle University in his fifth game.
In the succeeding matches, So Kua tallied a draw with NU Bulldog Ryan Magtabog and three-straight victories against Far Eastern University’s Vince Angelo Medina and Lennon Salgados and UP’s Marc Nazario to conclude his stint.
“When I lost (in the fifth game), the only thing that came to my mind was to fight back because I know I still have the chance of reaching the grand finals,” he said.
In the distaff side, Female Woodpusher Loraine Salinas fell short against her foes and finished at eighth place with five points.
Her teammates Michella Concio, Highzzy Manaloto and Shayxanthe Guico displayed subpar performances and came up with only four markers each to rank 13th, 14th and 21st, respectively.
