Arca delivers lone gold for Team PH in Asian Youth chess meet

By KRISTEL SATUMBAGA

Christian Gian Karlo Arca delivered Team Philippines’ lone gold medal in the Asian Youth Chess Championships after topping the Under-16 blitz category in Almaty, Kazakhstan on Thursday, June 20.

The 15-year-old FIDE Master finished the nine-round tournament with eight points in a performance so fitting to his triumph in a Grandmaster event in Quang Ninh, Vietnam last month.

Adding drama to his title victory was that he claimed the crown only after a ninth-round win over FM Daniyal Sapenov of Kazakhstan to finish with eight triumphs against a single loss against Kazakh Asman Bayantas in the fourth round.

Arca also competed in the U16 rapid event but finished 13^th place with 4.5 points, and in the U18 standard event where he settled for 27^th place with 4.5 points.

Reigning national women’s champion and Olympiad-bound Ruelle Canino, meanwhile, finished ninth in the U16 blitz and U16 rapid with 6 and 4.5 points, respectively, while settling for 10^th in the U18 standard with 5.5 points.

Mar Aviel Carredo also saw action in the U14 where she finished 16^th in blitz (5.5 points), 17^th in rapid (4.5 points) and 39^th in standard (4 points).

Nika Juris Nicolas competed in the girls U12 where she landed 13^th in standard (5.5 points), 17^th in rapid (4 points) and 19^th in blitz (5 points),  while Elle Castronuevo played in the girls U10 and finished 26^th in rapid (3.5 points), 31^st in standard (4 points) and 32^nd in blitz (4 points).