Inside the Green Woodpushers’ Resolve to Reclaim the Top Spot This UAAP S87

After falling short of making it to the podium last season, the De La Salle University (DLSU) Green Woodpushers are determined to reclaim the top status of Taft’s Men’s Chess Team this University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) Season 87.

A Look Back on S86

Last Season 86, the Green Woodpushers came close to getting back on the podium after several years of trophy drought. But at the end of the Chess Championships, La Salle found themselves in fourth place overall, despite taking home a couple of medals across various Boards.

Now, ahead of the UAAP Season 87, La Salle is adamant about not only taking home individual hardware but also the overall title in the Men’s Chess Tournament.

The Current Team

When asked about the difference between this year’s team and last season’s squad, Team Captain Kris Oswald Olvido shared that he, along with four core members or veterans, namely Jester Sistoza, Daniel Lemi, Evan Ong, and Cyril Telesforo, are joined by two five-star recruits for this upcoming S87.

Two new faces are set to make their UAAP debut for La Salle this season, specifically Angele Tenshi Biete and John Lance Valencia. Both Biete and Valencia are top-notch recruits, with one of them being a national master chess player and both recruits being reigning NCAA champions. Indeed, with the quality of play both rookies have, Olvido is confident that these new additions will certainly contribute to the team’s success.

“Confident ako makakacontribute sila sa team since yung isa national master, one of the top juniors sa batch niya. Yung isa ganun din,” Kris remarks. “I expect one of them ang kukuha ng Rookie of the Year (ROY).”

Another notable difference for the team this season is their academic workload heading into the tournament. Last year, the Green and White’s games either clashed with academic commitments for majors or occurred during Finals week. The captain disclosed that members of the team are not taking majors and have a lighter workload this time around. Add in the fact that the UAAP chess tournament is said to take place around October, which Kris states will probably not clash with Finals week.

Preparations for the Season

At the time of the interview, the Green Woodpushers were still preparing for the UAAP tournament which the captain mentions will most probably occur in October. Then the team captain shared some of the team’s current preparations for the upcoming season.

For Captain Kris and the rest of the veterans, analyzing last season’s games to learn how to do better in opening a match is one key preparation. The Captain Woodpusher further expressed that mistakes and lessons from the previous season are something they are working on.

“Kung ano yung mga lesson namin last season, yun yun prinapractice namin,” said the fifth-year veteran. “Kung saan kami nagkamali last season, yun yung tinatry namin ipractice — like yung last year’s games namin, and we’re analyzing it kung saan kami nagkamali.”

In chess, there are no preseason tournaments, but rather open tournaments where various players no matter what age can compete against others. Joining these tournaments during weekends is where the Green Woodpushers currently gather valuable learning experiences ahead of the UAAP season. After every tournament, the team makes sure to review the matches to see if they chose the right move at a particular position and to inspect where they made a mistake. Kris shares that competing in these tournaments not only gives contest experience to the rookies but also helps the team as a whole learn when competing against chess master players.

“Kasi dun kami nag-aano [kumukuha] ng experience — kung paano sila maglaro, the way nila imove yung piece nila, strategy nila, kasi mga masters yan. Dyan kami nachachallenge talaga kapag sila yung kalaban namin,” Kris explains on how the team feels when up against master players.

Another preparation that the team has taken to do is to jog about thrice a week or do some exercises like playing basketball, as chess is a mental game, it can be exhausting which is why it is necessary to build stamina to combat this. Olvido also disclosed the team’s plan to partake in chess club games where the objective is often to win bets, such as games in Luneta Park. Playing to win bets reduces the nerves of the team in playing competitively, a fact that is valuable, especially for the rookies who have no UAAP experience yet.

“Nakakatulong din kasi yun eh, pampawala ng kaba; kapag lagi ka kasi naglalaro sa mga ganun, mawawala kaba mo.”

Additionally, playing in chess clubs also prepares the Green Woodpushers timewise as games in these clubs are just three minutes long, compared to UAAP games that follow a standard time of one hour and 30 minutes plus 30 seconds increments which can make the match as long as six hours. The captain expressed that the pressure to make the correct moves in that short amount of time gives them a better idea of playing to make good use of time in the UAAP matches.

The Mindset of the Team

For the veteran Woodpushers, this season is the time to “prove something na talaga,” especially as they are close to graduating. The captain disclosed that before entering the team, La Salle’s Chess Team was one of the top contenders in the tournament. A status that the Green Woodpushers aim to reclaim once again starting this year.

“Before kami pumasok, yung DLSU chess, isa sa mga top, so irereclaim namin yun. Yung podium and championship talaga.”

For the rookies, their mindset would be on proving their worth, as the captain revealed that although there were people who tried out for the team, ultimately, only the two recruits were accepted.

Regardless, all members of the Green Woodpushers enter Season 87 with the collective mindset to validate La Salle being not only podium-worthy but also championship ready.

The Goal This Season

Since chess is an individual sport, when asked about goals for the season, Olvido first expressed his own goals. That is, of course, to be a Board Champion and to take home the team Championship before he graduates. The latter is a common objective among all members of the team, the veteran divulges.

“Lahat kami gusto, di lang podium, gusto talaga naming magchampion this season, yun yung goal namin. Kaya pinaghihirapan namin ngayon.”

The captain admits that to achieve this, the Green Woodpushers have sacrificed some things such as allocating the term break (at the time of the interview, La Salle was observing a term break) to staying in Manila to train together rather than going home to their respective provinces.

“Para makuha namin yung goal namin, kailangan paghirapan muna.”

A sentiment that the team continues to believe in as they continue to prepare for the Season 87 Chess Tournament which is about a month away.

Message to the DLSU Community and Supporters

As the UAAP season slowly draws nearer, Captain Kris calls for support from the Lasallian community and supporters as the Green and White look to reclaim their place on top.

“Please support us in our upcoming UAAP games as we work to reclaim our place and make this season one to remember,” the veteran confidently stated. The captain also urges supporters such as family and friends, to try and watch their games this season which he spills will more likely occur somewhere at Adamson University.

Get ready to root for the DLSU Green Woodpushers as they begin their UAAP Season 87 campaign against the University of the Philippines (UP) Men’s Chess Team on Saturday, October 12, 1PM, at the Adamson University Gym.

The rest of their tournament schedule is as follows:

DLSU vs. UST — October 13, 1 PM
DLSU vs. AdU — October 19, 1 PM
DLSU vs. Ateneo — October 20, 1 PM
DLSU vs. FEU — October 27, 1 PM