International Masters Daniel Quizon and Jan Emmanuel Garcia smashed their respective rivals to remain unflappable at the helm after three rounds in the Philippine National Chess Championships at the Marikina Community Convention Center on Thursday, Dec. 28.

Quizon outlasted Samson Chiu Chin Lim III in 64 moves of a super-sharp Sicilian Defense while Garcia crushed John Velarde in 33 moves of an English duel for their respective third straight points that kept them unshakeable on top in this 14-player, 13-round meet presented by Marikina City Congresswoman Maan Teodoro and Mayor Marcy Teodoro.

The pair of wins also gave the co-leader a full point lead from the four-player chase pack of  Woman Grandmaster Janelle Mae Frayna, FIDE Masters Christian Gian Karlo Arca and Mark Jay Bacojo, and GM John Paul Gomez.

Frayna and Arca, a 14-year-old wunderkind who ruled the blitz section of the World Youth Championships in Italy last month, split the point in 30 moves of a Three Knights Variation; Bacojo held IM Paulo Bersamina to a 67-move standoff of a Modern clash; and Gomez halved the point with GM Darwin Laylo in 26 moves of a Slav encounter.

At press time, Quizon and Garcia were gunning to keep a firmer grip of the pole position as they were tackling Laylo and IM Barlo Nadera, respectively, in the fourth round of this event backed NCFP chairman president Prospero Pichay, Jr., Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) president Abraham Tolentino, Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) chairman Richard Bachmann, the Eugene Torre Chess Foundation, and Pan de Amerikana’s Jundio Salvador.

The other results of the round saw Barlo Nadera besting WIM Marie Antoinette San Diego in 61 moves of a Benoni and GM Joey Antonio and Vince Angelo Medina settling for a 68-move standoff of a Modern Defense.