FIDE Master Christian Gian Karlo Tade-AArca from Panabo City, Davao del Norte, won two championships in the tournament attended by some of the top young chess players in the country.
Arca won the crown in the blitz and rapid under-17 boys divisions.
He also placed fourth in the standard event for U-17 boys.
With his solid performance in the tournament, Arca got a wild card slot from the National Chess Federation of the Philippines (NCFP) to compete in Thailand in the 2023 ASEAN AGE GROUP CHESS CHAMPIONSHIP on June 17–28, 2023, as one of the official players for the U18 Boys category.
Aside from Arca, Keith Adriane Ilar, a chess master from El Salvador City, and Misamis Oriental also emerged as champions in the U-17 standard event.
Arca and Ilar are considered two future grandmasters in Philippine chess. (Romeo Braceros Jr.)