By Kristel Satumbaga

International Master Joel Pimentel blew away the competition to capture the third leg of the 1st Philippine National Bullet Chess Championship done online Saturday.

The 27-year-old Pimentel, a Bacolod City native, scored 142 points in 52 games to rule the event and join a list of past winners headed by Grandmaster Banjo Barcenilla in this event organized and sanctioned by the National Chess Federation of the Philippines and bankrolled by its president and chairman Butch Pichay.

It was a tour de force performance by the former Army man as he won by a wide margin of 25 points over teenage sensation Michael Concio, who finished with 117 points.

United States-based GM Mark Paragua came in third with 109.

Rounding up the top 10 were Ellan Asuela, Sherwin Tiu, Barcenilla, IM Paulo Bersamina, IM Joel Banawa, Chester Neil Reyes and Karl Ochoa.

The tournament, which stakes a total cash pot worth more than P200,000, is being done every Saturday on chess online app, lichess.org, as an alternative since all on-the-board events are postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Meanwhile, International Master Daniel Quizon added another feather to his cap as he ruled the Rising Phoenix tribute tournament dubbed “WIM Arianne Caoili Memorial Arena” recently.

The 15-year-old Quizon drew with IM Jan Emmanuel Garcia in the final round to finish with 124 points, nine points ahead of Paragua, who totaled 115 points.

Garcia finished a distant third with 103 points in this two-hour tournament done in memory of Caoili, a Fil-Aussie chess player who passed away last week due to complications sustained in a car accident.

It was another strong effort for Quizon, who won the final leg of the Rising Phoenix tilt and finished second twice in the first two legs of the 1st Philippine National Bullet Chess Championships.

Air Force man Lennon Hart Salgados wound up fourth with 99 while Letran standout Mark Daluz was fifth with 98.

Rounding up the top 10 of this tournament organized by Rising Phioenix founder IM Joel Banawa were University of Santo Tomas’ Samson Lim with 97, IM Richeliu Salcedo with 94, Mark Jay Bacojo with 94, Michael Concio with 89 and Kyle Ochoa with 87.