Cover Photo By Tine Dumdumaya
Cover Photo By Tine Dumdumaya.

Yulo eyes more FIDE-rated wins after clinching juniors crown in Rapid Chess Championships II


Following his mixed secondary and college division title, Yulo is determined to climb his way up and fulfill his dream of competing internationally.


By Zen Alday | Friday, 3 March 2023

De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde (DLS-CSB) woodpusher and Real Estate Management student Adrian Othniel Yulo dominated the FIDE-rated Golden Chess Friends (GCF) Students Rapid Chess Championships on Jan. 21 at Cagayan de Oro, and behind his victory were a number of stepping stones: earnest preparations, pandemic setbacks, and an international dream.

 

Yulo declined the challenge of 2022 Vigan City Batang Pinoy medalist Keith Adriane Ilar and took the tough job of edging the top dogs of the FIDE-rated chess fest tournament to successfully notch the mixed secondary and college division title. But more than a title, his win was a defining moment for him.

 

Confronting pandemic repercussions

During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, chess was one of the sports that managed to thrive even in an online environment. Even so, the transition hindered progress for some woodpushers like Yulo who experienced a stagnant period in his chess journey due to the lack of onsite training. 

 

“Initially, it has been stagnant. Aside from adjusting, it has been difficult for me as well, kasi wala na nga ‘yung training onsite. That mattered to me personally,” Yulo shared in an exclusive interview with The Benildean.

 

Despite this, he was able to earn a notable achievement during the pandemic after finishing second in the 2021 Philippine National Juniors Championship, where he competed against outstanding junior chess players in the Philippines. 

 

He also expressed his achievement-turned-heartbreak, being ineligible to represent the Philippines in the World Junior Chess Championships due to the under-20 age restriction of the tournament, sharing, “Ako sana mag-compete [for the Philippines], pero when they asked me anong edad ko [na] that year, I was turning 21 na, so I’m not considered as a junior. Sayang ‘di ba?” 

 

Stagnation to progress

Following years of stagnation, Yulo considered his win in the GCF Students Rapid chess tilt as proving a point that validated his thorough preparations and shift in mindset. Pre-pandemic, the 21-year-old woodpusher used to be a perfectionist who carried a different mindset in matches and shared that, “When I lose one game during a tournament, I will just collapse ‘cause that would really affect my ego or my pride as a chess player.” Fortunately, Yulo was able to outgrow this perception and learned to keep in mind that losing is part of the competition.

 

After overcoming a negative mindset, the second challenge he had to address was consistency. According to him, it was common for chess players to win the first and second rounds of a chess tournament, but in order to advance to the finals, one has to survive the third and fourth crucial rounds. Good thing, playing an excessive amount of online chess games kept him steady and prepared. 

 

Yulo dedicated his victory to himself and to the College as he spoke with gratitude about how Benilde has been supportive of his endeavors and provided opportunities for him as a student-athlete. Furthermore, he also took pride in being a Benildean after going up against two of his closest childhood friends from the University of Perpetual Help System DALTA (UPHSD), Romeo and Ronald Canino, who have been his rivals ever since he started playing for Benilde. 

 

“It was very defining for me, and I’m glad na I was able to win it despite the competition,” Yulo highlighted.

 

The international dream

As in-person tournaments gradually return, Yulo is looking forward to joining more Federation Internationale des Echecs (FIDE)-rated competitions like GCF Students Rapid chess tilt to improve his international rating and be able to compete internationally. “FIDE-rated is more of the international rating of chess and that's what I lack,” he stressed. 

 

To connect this to his future plans, the 21-year-old woodpusher has been diligently studying chess grandmasters’ performances in hopes of making a mark in the international chess scene,  as it has always been a dream of his. 

 

Meanwhile, his footing in the NCAA Season 98 remains uncertain as he’s unsure if the NCAA chess tournament will commence before he graduates. Nevertheless, he’s hopeful and optimistic that he can still bring glory to the College before concluding his Benildean journey.