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Manila Bulletin devider Sports devider Isabela woodpushers shine the brightest

Isabela woodpushers shine the brightest

Published Jun 8, 2026 03:01 pm

At A Glance

  • A pair of prodigious chessers from Alicia, Isabela, Jodiel Chloe Banawa and Empress Anika Caole topped their respective divisions in rapid and blitz over the weekend to emerge the only triple gold medal winners in the National Age Group Championships at the SMX Convention Center in Olongapo.
Jodiel Chloe Banawa, left, and Empress Anika Caole
Jodiel Chloe Banawa, left, and Empress Anika Caole
A pair of prodigious chessers from Alicia, Isabela, Jodiel Chloe Banawa and Empress Anika Caole topped their respective divisions in rapid and blitz over the weekend to emerge the only triple gold medal winners in the National Age Group Championships at the SMX Convention Center in Olongapo.
Banawa, just five years old, went a perfect five of five in the girls’ Under-8 rapid and blitz to add up to her standard gold the day before while Caole, who is nine years old, did the same in the girls’ U10 to end up the only two players in the four-day event who went home with three mints.
Interestingly, both Banawa and Caole were trained by International Master Joel Banawa, who also happens to be the farmer of Jodiel.
“Proud of them, their hard work paid off,” said Banawa.
Next stop for the two are the National Championships that Alicia, Isabela, their hometown, are hosting next month and the ASEAN Youth Championships in Singapore in August.
Keith Adrian Ilar also stole some of the thunder and claimed his second gold in the combined boys’ rapid U18 and U20.
He won the U116 standard gold the day before.
Other winners in rapid were Sumer Oncita (U12 and U14 boys), Woman FIDE Master April Joy Claros (U18 and U20 girls) while Vince Duane Pascual (U18 and U20 boys), Richard Alarma (U14 and U16 boys), Franchesca Largo (U18 and U20 girls) and Cyeine Borce (U14 and U16 girls) were blitz winners.

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Jodiel Chloe Banawa Empress Anika Caole National Age Group Championships
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