Philippines, 07 Dec 2025
  Home >> News

 


BOXERS

CURRENT CHAMPIONS 

FORMER CHAMPIONS   

RATINGS                       

NEWS           

FORUM        

FIGHT GALLERIES        

RING CARD GIRLS        


 
 
News  


PACQUIAO RANDOM CHESS: DABLEO RULES INDIVIDUAL EVENT


PhilBoxing.com




GENERAL SANTOS CITY -- Grandmaster candidate Ronald Dableo played catchup all day Wednesday and had to muster all the tricks under his sleeves to beat young FIDE Master Austin Jacob Literatus and rule the individual play of the Second Manny Pacquiao Random Chess Championships here.

Still lagging in the middle of the top 10 standing after the fifth round of the 9-round Swiss System play, the 36-year-old International Master who is waiting to earn a full GM title, actually ended up in a tie for the top spot with National Master David Elorta and polio-stricken Henry Roger Lopez after the grueling whole day affair in crowning himself the king of this version of the mind game introduced by former American prodigy Robert "Bobby" Fischer.

Dableo, who coaches Universiy of Santo Tomas in the UAAP chess war when not carrying the country's flag in international arenas, Elorta and Lopez amassed 8 points each after the smoke of battle was extinguished and it needed the organizing Manny Pacquiao Chess Players Organization to resort to each players' SBs to determine who the crown owner will be.

Dableo, a father of three with wife Sarah Jane who, actually, had already earned a third GM norm, emerged with the superior 47.50 SB. Elorta, 33 who works as a chess tutor at Pasig Line in Manila, came up with 46 flat SB to claim first runner-up, followed by the untitled Lopez, who finished with 41.50.

Top photo: Grandmaster candidate Ronald Dableo (L) plays against young FIDE Master Austin Jacob Literatus in the final round.


Grandmaster candidate Ronald Dableo (L) holds the championship trophy after topping the 2nd Manny Pacquiao Random Chess individual event Wednesday in General Santos while David Elorta (R, standing) bags the first runner up and Henry Roger Lopez (on wheelchair) was the second runner up. Handing the prizes is Grandmaster Eugene Torre (2nd from left).

Photos by Rupert Windell Alinea.

The three, as tournament rules provide, split the Php 100,000 from the Php 50,000 top purse, Php 30,000 for second and Php 20,000 for third with each going home richer by Php 33,333.34 each.

The timid and shy Elorta, who hid from media men after the tournament to avoid being interviewed, disposed off Joel Pimentel Jr., also in the 9th round, while Lopez, a 20-year-old Bachelor of Art in History graduate playing out of Panabo, Davao del Norte made easy work of GM Rogelio "Joey" Antonio Jr., who raised the white flag after a few minutes of encounter to be able to watch the Dableo-Literatus showdown at center stage.

Earier in the day, the four-man Elman I squad of NM Hamed Nouri, IM Joel Pimentel Jr., Syrel Coleta and Romeo Sadia captured the team championship of the event, held in honor of boxing icon Manny Pacqiuao, who celerated his 37th birthday Thursday. The event drew a huge bunch of 296 pawnpushers from all over the archipelago, 271 of them vied for fame and fortune in the individual play.

The team won Php 100,000 top money of the total purse Php 1.5 million put to stake by the eight-division boxing champion.

Literatus' loss to Dableo dropped him into a logjam for fourth to sixth places with Nouri and Marc Christian Nazario, each receiving Php 11,000. Pimentel, along with NMs Jerad Docena, and Levi Mercado and IM Richeliu Salcedo III took home Php 8,ooo each in seventh to ninth places.

Only a solitary GM, Darwin Laylo, landed in the top 15 finishers with Roque Merben, Vince Angelo Medina, Alfredo Rapanot and Kevin Arquero -- who brought with them Php 6,000 each.

Antonio, who is still recovering from a series of operations he underwent the past two years and playing in his only second major tournament, found himself in a bunch of five others, including IM friend Chito Garma, and settled with a prize of Php 4,000 each.

The Dableo-Literarus final round match-up turned out to be a real battle of nerves and wits, with the new champ essaying the black pieces masterfully providing defense to his rook-guarded king while continuously attacking the enemy's fort.

With still a few minutes left though of the required 30-minute confrontation, Literatus offered his hand as a sign of surrender ending the fast and furious match and landing Dableo the throne.

Incidentally, Dableo, Elorta and Lopez all played with the black pieces in the deciding round.


Click here to view a list of other articles written by Eddie Alinea.


Recent PhilBoxing.com In-House articles:

  • Boxing, Mixed Martial Arts and Ju-jitsu in Thailand SEA Games
    By Lito delos Reyes, , Sat, 06 Dec 2025
  • Mapua, IIEE Singapore and IM Concio wins the 7th IIEE ANC Cup co-awarded by GM Torre
    By Marlon Bernardino, , Sat, 06 Dec 2025
  • Pontinos to see action in PH Jetski in SEA Games
    By Lito delos Reyes, , Sat, 06 Dec 2025
  • Pitbull vs. Roach Jr & Co-Headliner Foster vs. Fulton Make for Solid PPV
    By Chris Carlson, , Sat, 06 Dec 2025
  • Weights from Philadelphia
    , Sat, 06 Dec 2025
  • MONTE-CARLO SHOWDOWN VI WEIGH-IN RESULTS AND FIGHT NIGHT RUNNING ORDER CONFIRMED WITH MASOUD AND McGRAIL SET TO BATTLE
    , Sat, 06 Dec 2025
  • Herlan Gomez, Jason Moloney Make Weight for WBC Australasia Bantamweight Battle in Australia
    By Carlos Costa, , Fri, 05 Dec 2025
  • OLYMPIC BOXING 5: 1928 OLYMPICS AT AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS
    By Maloney L. Samaco, , Fri, 05 Dec 2025
  • MONTE-CARLO SHOWDOWN VI PRESS CONFERENCE QUOTES
    , Fri, 05 Dec 2025
  • Class of 2026 Announced in Canastota
    , Fri, 05 Dec 2025
  • Thailand’s Niyomtrong “Knockout CPF” Decisions Junior Zárate, Becomes World Champion Again
    By Carlos Costa, , Fri, 05 Dec 2025
  • WORLD RANKED FILIPINO BOXERS AS OF DECEMBER 2025 BY THE RING, WBC, WBA, IBF, AND WBO
    By Maloney L. Samaco, , Fri, 05 Dec 2025
  • Shinard Bunch Takes on John Paul Magalong on Tuesday, January 13th at The UFC Gym North Brunswick in North Brunswick, NJ
    , Fri, 05 Dec 2025
  • Severino and Mendoza win Blitz Asian Chess Championship for Players with Disabilities
    By Marlon Bernardino, , Fri, 05 Dec 2025
  • Herlan Gomez Departs for Australia for Moloney Fight Saturday on DAZN
    By Carlos Costa, , Thu, 04 Dec 2025
  • KENNETH LLOVER DEFENDS OPBF TITLE IN FOURTH FIGHT OF 2025
    , Thu, 04 Dec 2025
  • Canoy, Mama, Into Contend in IBA Men’s World Boxing Championships in Dubai
    By Lito delos Reyes, , Thu, 04 Dec 2025
  • CHAMPIONING MENTAL HEALTH 2: REMATCH SEASON FULL FIGHT CARD SET
    , Thu, 04 Dec 2025
  • MERRY FISTMAS! World-Ranked KO Artist Ramon Cardenas Faces Erik Robles in ProBoxTV Main Event at War Memorial Auditorium in Fort Lauderdale, Thursday, December 18
    , Thu, 04 Dec 2025
  • THE PAST WEEK IN ACTION 2 DECEMBER 2025: Kavaliauskas Wins by Split Decision Over Molina; Whittaker Stops Gavazi in 1; Malajika Wins by UD Over Paras
    By Eric Armit, , Wed, 03 Dec 2025
  • WBC Strips Terence Crawford of Super Middle Title
    By Gabriel F. Cordero, , Wed, 03 Dec 2025
  • Soledad wins WBC Asian Continental title
    By Lito delos Reyes, , Wed, 03 Dec 2025
  • A night of power, legacy, and UAE pride: IBA Men’s World Boxing Championships opens in spectacular fashion in Dubai
    , Wed, 03 Dec 2025
  • OKC Thunder is NBA 2025-2026 Strongest Team
    By Gabriel F. Cordero, , Wed, 03 Dec 2025
  • Who was Clever Sison?
    By Joaquin Henson, , Wed, 03 Dec 2025




  •  



     
    PhilBoxing.com has been created to support every aspiring
    Filipino boxer and the Philippine boxing scene in general.
    Please send comments to feedback@philboxing.com


    PRIVATE POLICY | LEGAL DISCLAIMER
    developed and maintained by dong secuya
    © 2025 philboxing.com.