By Vince Matthew Jaramilla

After ending the eliminations with the top spot, the Far Eastern University (FEU) men’s chess team showed confidence in making a statement Final Four run in the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) Season 87 rapid chess tournament.

“We want to make a statement that this event is in FEU’s favor, and we’re ready to prove it,” FIDE (International Chess Federation) Master (FM) Mark Jay Bacojo said in an interview with FEU Advocate.

Last March 22 at the Adamson University (AdU) St. Vincent Gym in Manila City, the FEU chessers opened their rapid chess run by upsetting standard format champions University of Santo Tomas (UST) and defeating AdU.

The green-and-gold squad then followed that up the next day with wins over Ateneo de Manila University, University of the Philippines (UP), and De La Salle University (DLSU).

With a dominant eliminations run, the Tamaraws accumulated 10.0 (15.5) points, three markers above DLSU and UST in the second and third places, respectively.

Season 87 standard chess Rookie of the Year Bacojo mentioned his satisfaction with the team’s journey to the one-seed.

“I’m very happy with how we performed throughout the elimination stage. My teammates delivered strong and convincing games, which ultimately secured our spot as the number one seed,” he stated.

The Morayta-based FM also shared how they were optimistic for their performance since the beginning, and have been looking forward to the Final Four.

“I'm not surprised, I’ve always known that my teammates have the edge over our opponents, especially in shorter time controls. We’ve been confident in our abilities from the start, so now we’re just looking forward to the semifinals and finals,” Bacojo added.

Eager to show their prowess after finishing third in the standard format, the FEU Woodpushers are set to face UP in the semifinals tomorrow, March 29, at the same venue. The championship and battle-for-third will also take place on the same day.

The men’s high school counterparts will also play their finals game tomorrow after claiming the one-seed of their respective division with 8.0 (15.5) points.

(Photo courtesy of the UAAP Media Team)