Parading with intact rosters, the University of Santo Tomas and Far Eastern University are once again poised to assert their dominance as the UAAP Season 88 Chess Tournaments open today (Sunday) at the Adamson University Gym.
The five-peat-seeking Male Woodpushers brace for a challenging title defense despite coming off a near-perfect campaign last season, where the España-based squad tallied eight wins and one draw against just a single loss.
"So far we are well prepared naman to defend our title. But everything on our way to the championship is always a difficult task," said UST head coach GM-elect Ronald Dableo, who identified FEU as their toughest challenger this season.
That concern is warranted, with the Morayta-based Tamaraws bannered by FIDE Master Mark Bacojo, last season’s Rookie of the Year, who is expected to anchor their bid to reclaim the crown.
In the women’s division, FEU was untouchable last season, completing a flawless campaign behind the brilliance of reigning MVP and Woman National Master Mhage Sebastian.
Meanwhile, on the girls’ side, national team standout and Woman FIDE Master Ruelle Canino returns from strong international stints to lead FEU-Diliman, hoping to replicate her spotless run from last year.
Alongside the Baby Tamaraws, they are targeting a fourth straight sweep of the high school titles to further cement their legacy in both the boys’ and girls’ divisions.
"We always give our best. Our aim for this year is to get the four championship crowns in four divisions, Men, Women, and HS Girls, and HS Boys," declared FEU coach and Woman Grandmaster Janelle Frayna, outlining the Tamaraws’ ultimate goal this season.
Armed with depth, experience, and a proven track record of dominance across all divisions, FEU enters Season 88 not just as defending champions but as the gold standard that every other team must measure itself against.
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