ERJHS chess simul to feature IM Young, IM Datu

As  part of the ERJHS 73rd Foundation Day and Grand Alumni Homecoming on Feb. 22-23, the ERJHS Alumni Sports Club  will organize the “Learn & Play Chess 2” with  International Masters Angelo Young and Idel Datu and FIDE Instructor Chiara Reina Lim-Datu.

The event is scheduled at 9 a.m. on Sunday, Feb. 23 at the Audio-Visual Room.

Young is one of the nominees for the 10 “Most Outstanding Alumni” award for being the only ERJHS graduate to earn an international master title.

A member of Batch 80, Young is also an awardee of the ERJHS Sports Hall of Fame in 2016.

Datu, one of the country’s top IMs and chess instructor, served as program director for chess of Ateneo de Manila for nearly 20 years, while wife Chiara is a licensed FIDE instructor and president of the Sudeco Polytechnic Integrated College.

ERJHS Alumni Sports Club president Ed Andaya of Batch 81 said the top 25 players in a seven-round elimination tournament to he played Feb. 21 will be eligible to play in the 40-board  simultaneous exhibition matches on Feb. 23.

Joining them in the  chess simul are 15 select alumni-participants.

Expected to grace the two-day event are ERJHS Alumni Association president Ramon Ferreros  of Batch 73 and ERJHS principal Ernest Ferrer.

The  “Learn and Play Chess”is  the  fourth installment of  the  extensive chess program initiated by the ERJHS Alumni Sports Club.

Also held were the first “Isulong Mo with GM Eugene Torre”   with  the Meralco Chess Club at the Barangay N. S. Amoranto last February 2019; the second “Isulong Mo with GM Eugene Torre and IM Angelo Young” simultaneous chess exhibition matches last May 22, 2023;  and the first “Learn and Play Chess” with IM  Datu and FA Rudy Ibanez last June 30, 2023.

In the first  “Learn and Play Chess”with IM Datu, Karl Christian  Azada emerged as the champion with a perfect score of five points in the five-round tournament.

Azada  finished in a two-way tie for first place with Clark Amodia, but clinched the title after the tiebreak.

Matt Galut finished third with 4.5 points.

Rounding out the top 10 finishers were Marc Garcia, Dwayne Gatus, Dylan Sta Maria, John Isip,Reynald Samson, Jayvee Dela Rosa, Ashii Duzon and Kent Perena.

“The school has a lot of good chess players. We just have to give them more exposure thru regular tournaments,” said Datu.

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