CE Knights seal women’s chess two-peat; CBA Jaguars triumph in blitz showdown

With every move carrying the weight of the title, the College of Engineering (CE) Knights’ women’s chess team sweeps the finals to bag the back-to-back gold, while the College of Business Administration (CBA) Jaguars capture the men’s crown in thriller fashion as both teams displayed sharp tactics and composure during the chess finals of the PLM Intramurals held at the university library, Oct. 21.

Displaying precision and poise across the board, CE Knight’s outmaneuvered the College of Information System and Technology Management (CISTM) with a commanding 2-0 sweep to seal the championship.

Kicking off the best-of-three series, CE’s Board 1, Catriona Lyzzy Natividad, probed her opponent's defensive lapses during the opening phase before calmly securing her victory with a material advantage as her CISTM opponent ran out of time. Meanwhile, in Board 2, Krisheena Danielle Villanueva recovered from an early blunder to deliver a rook checkmate.

In Game 2, both Knights cemented their reign by checkmating their respective opponents to complete a swift 2–0, denying the Pythons’ Jewel Eunice Martinez and Arryan Stephanie Correa the title and relegating them to silver.

Meanwhile, in the men’s division, the CBA Jaguars and the College of Education (CED) Titans’ battle for gold unfolded through a series of down-to-the-wire exchanges, where crucial tie-breaks and dwindling clock time kept the outcome uncertain until the final moves.

After three consecutive 1–1 draws, with Board 1 and Board 2 splitting wins between the two squads, neither team gained the upper hand, forcing the championship into a five-minute blitz where Niño Gabriel Legaspi and Jhon Ricardo Baldoza from CE capped off the showdown with a 2–0 sweep to claim the men’s crown.

Despite a gallant attempt, Edmond Mendoza and Dionelle Lamayo from CED wrapped up their campaign with silver medals, carrying the pride of representing their college even after missing out on the championship.

The bronze-medal matches saw CBA’s Princess Alexa Ramos and Michell Lee Ople prevail in a closely fought battle in the women’s division that extended to Armageddon, while CE’s Caleb Cordero and Alejandro Cunanan claimed third place in the men’s division with a decisive 2–0 victory.