Green Woodpushers show improvements in Season 84 despite falling short of podium
From a sixth place finish in UAAP Season 82, the De La Salle University (DLSU) Green Woodpushers improved to fourth place in UAAP Season 84 with a win-tie-loss record of 5–1–4 at the end of the UAAP Season 84 Chess Tournament— Men’s Division on Wednesday, June 15, at the FEU Engineering Building Auditorium.
JUNE 12 and 15: ROUNDS 9 AND 10 (22 points, +6.5)
La Salle won their last two outings: Round 9 on June 12 against Ateneo, 2.5–1.5, and Round 10 on June 15 against Adamson, 4–0. These two victories allowed them to climb up to third, with Round 6 still to be played at a later time slot on June 15. Round 6 was initially scheduled on June 8 but was postponed.
In these games, Cyril Felrod Telesforo (2 points) and Jester Sistoza (2 points) defeated their respective foes: Ateneo’s Santos and Tan and Adamson’s Olendo and Lacambra. Daniel John Lemi added 1.5 points off a tie with Ateneo’s De Veyra and a win over Adamson’s Ramos. Francis Xavier Guimalan (1 point) emerged victorious against Adamson’s Ballobar.
JUNE 15: ROUND 6 (23.5 points, +1.5)
However, the Green Woodpushers (22 points), who were protecting a rather slim 0.5 point edge over a sneaking FEU side (21.5 points), faced a tall order in Round 6. They earned an additional 1.5 points from their last match against tournament leaders and eventual champion UST. Telesforo (1 point) defeated Vinluan while Lemi (0.5 point) and UST’s Palma ended in a knot.
But this proved insufficient to take them to the podium as FEU went on to a 3.5–0.5 win against dead last Ateneo to overtake the Taft-based squad and snag the bronze medal.
Nonetheless, several golden spots where shown by the Green Woodpushers as Telesforo, Lemi, and Sistoza each notched golds in Boards 4, 5, and 6, respectively.
The DLSU Green Woodpushers participated in a double round robin against five other UAAP schools which started on June 1.
JUNE 1: ROUND 1 (0.5 point)
Telesforo (0.5 point) was the lone scorer in their season opener against UST after beating his opponent Ocsan.
JUNE 3 to 8: ROUNDS 2 TO 5 (13 points, +12.5 points)
The Taft-based squad turned the tables in their next four matches, not dropping a single game as they won three and ended in a tie in one.
On June 3, they defeated FEU, 3–1, before figuring in a deadlock against UP on June 5, 2–2. Telesforo (2 points) once again starred for the Green shirts, winning both of his matches against FEU’s Sevillano and UP’s Rosarda. Lemi (2 points) also swept his assignments against FEU’s Laxamana and UP’s Olladas. Sistoza (1 point) edged FEU’s Gelua for his first point for La Salle.
The Green Woodpushers put an even better show in Round 4, still on June 5, and Round 5, on June 8, as they nearly swept all their matches against Ateneo and Adamson. Telesforo (2 points) and Sistoza (2 points) nailed their respective assignments against Ateneo’s De Veyra and Tan and Adamson’s Olendo and Lacambra. Guimalan and Diomel John Escutin added 1 point each following wins over Ateneo’s Santos and Adamson’s Ballobar, respectively. Lemi (1.5 points) defeated Ateneo’s Villa before logging the only tie for La Salle with Adamson’s Ramos.
JUNE 10 and 12: ROUNDS 7 AND 8 (15.5 points, +2.5)
However, they suffered huge blows in their next two games as they lost to FEU, 1.5–2.5, and UP, 1–3 on June 10 and 12, respectively.
Telesforo, who had been brilliant all tournament long, could only provide one point for his team after engaging in knots with FEU’s Laxamana and UP’s Pangilinan. The same thing happened to Sistoza (1 point) in his tied matches with FEU’s Gelua and UP’s Rosarda. Lemi (0.5 point) completed the Green Woodpushers’ collection of deadlocks in a winless stretch.
