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SFO is in the building

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It seemed to elude us mighty some — one of our chess players making it to a chess master’s title. For decades it went on despite some glints, bright enough, of promise from our best players.

Of course it meant Cebu, Bacolod and Iloilo just happened to have stronger players, the reason why they were producing national masters rather easily in comparison. It’s been the picture even from the 1950s — Badilles and Ruelan from Cebu; in the 60s Naranja and Balinas from Ilongo country; in the 70s — Mascarinas, Sevillano, Mangubat and so many more.

But the long wait is over. One of our chess players has put an end to the long, long, long wait, won that elusive master’s title. And it sort of transcends the National Master’s title — it’s an ASEAN Master’s title.

And listen to this: a sixteen-year-old did it! Amazing, yeah. But that’s not all. This sixteen-year-old is not just sixteen years old — she’s a girl!

Sara Francine Olendo.

Not that I’m saying men are naturally stronger chessplayers than women; the Polgar sisters of Hungary put an end to that superstition. It’s just that we don’t have that many women chess players in Dumaguete.

To see better what we mean here’s a flashback retro of chess in our town for decades.

In the 70s, the late Walter Neri (may he rest in peace) won the 1974 Philippine Junior Chess Championship. And I was there when our boy shellacked National Master Cesar Caturla of Davao in four straight games (with bets). The following year Florendo Zamora nearly replicated Ner’s feat by finishing 2nd runner-up in the same tournament. So there, back-to-back domination by Dumaguete youngsters of the national junior chess scene. We also heard from Walter of a Silliman professor who beat Eugene Torre in a blitz game — whose name unfortunately escapes us at the moment. And back in the mid 90s, Romeo Capilitan, DYSR’s chess pride, dealt Eugene his second loss at the hands of a Dumaguete player when he came to play a simultaneous chess exhibition. Almost outshining Romy’s feat, 12-year-old Michael Barron, held Torre to a draw, while Walter Neri and Florendo Zamora, the two brilliant juniors of the 70s, also scored draws against Asia’s first grandmaster. Well these were blitz games, and skittles really. Then, fairly recently, a young Dumaguete player, Junaico Segismar, actually defeated Eugene Torre in a tournament game here in our midst.

And yet the national title forever eluded us.

Not any more. Sara Francine Olendo, brought that to a checkmate. We should be surprised, for all the gender talk. But one look at the girl in deep ponder of her next move in the photo and we’re like: was that Wonder Woman or Supergirl our eye just remembered flashing by on our laptop?

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Author’s email: [email protected]

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