ROMULO Pialan’s victory completed the cast of the 12 monthly champions who will vie in next month’s Grand Finals after he escaped a closely-fought points race to snare the November title of the recent CEPCA Monthly Qualifying chess tournament at the Handuraw Pizza in Gorordo Ave.
Pialan, a retired Electronics Engineer who now teaches chess through the internet, upset come-backing CEPCA member and former Cebu collegiate standout Tony Cabibil in the fifth and final round to score 4.0 points.
Pialan actually finished in a three-way logjam atop the ladder with Jimmy Ty Jr. and Cabibil, but the former banked on a superior tiebreak to claim the top plum.
However, since Pialan already qualified for the Grand Finals after winning the October title, Jimmy Ty Jr. will earn the November slot in the year-ending tilt. Cabibil finished third.
Pialan lost to Jun Kidlat in the first round but claimed four straight wins against Carlo Maraat, Rey Flores, Jimmy Ty Jr. and Cabibil.
Ty will join monthly qualifiers lawyer Jong Melendez, Percival Fiel, Rey Flores, Freddie Casagan, Maggie Dionson, Manny Abucay, Jun Kidlat, Peterson Sia, Harrison Chua, Domy Pialan and NM Arnold Cadiz in the Grand Finals tentatively set on Dec. 15. /Correspondent Jade S. Violeta