CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY: Winner of the Philippine Chess League Season 4, the Davao City Durianburg Stallions ruled the inaugural staging of theAssociation of Chess Amateurs in the Philippines Inc. (Acapi) Online Chess Team Tournament on Tuesday, February 13 via chess.com platform.The Stallions, owned by chess patron and lawyer Jose Dionisio 'Jong' Guevarra Jr., emerged champion both in the ACAPI's 1st President's Cup's Open and Youth divisions, while making the top 3 in the under-12, female and PWD categories of the latest chess league nation-wide for amateur players.Overpowering the Panabo Knights Chess Club (72.0 points) and San Juan- Crame PPKGCC (56.0) with their total score of 95.0 points in taking the Open division crown, the Davao Durianburg Stallions also edged their neighbors from Panabo City, 34-33, in the Youth division championship.The Imus-CEFAG-PPKGCC pawn pushers finished third with 22.0 points.Tuguegarao Team A, meanwhile, dominated the under-12 section with an aggregate of 57.0 points over second-placer Valenzuela City White Knights (32.0) and third-running Davao Durianburg Stallions (26.0).The Laguna White Knights, on the other hand, took control in the female bracket with their overwhelming 17.0 points over Davao Durianburg (14.0) and Imus-CEFAG-PPKGCC (9.0) as Caloocan held its ground in the battle for Persons With Disabilities (PWD) with a 17.0 output against Davao Durianburg's 14.0 and Bicol Chess Player's Advocates' 13.0 points.In the only corner of the Acapi chess fight where Davao failed to crack the top-three, the Imus, Cavite chessers garnered 18.0 points to lord it over in the Senior division over Las Piñas (13.0) and Bicol (12.0).ACAPI's founding head, Arena Grandmaster Rey Urbiztondo, told the Manila Times that some 447 players composing a total of 101 teams from all over the country have joined the online amateur chess team tournament's successful debut.'We have so many amateur chess players around the country young and old alike that will be given an opportunity to develop their chess skills including the PWDs. This is good for Philippine chess,' said Urbiztondo.'The ACAPI League is assured of three conferences in a year and is expecting more teams in the second conference,' added Urbiztondo.
