International Master Jan Emmanuel Garcia and National Master Marc Christian Nazario overcame a slow start with a blistering finish in ruling the WR Bughouse Chess Open at the MICE Center in Quezon City over the weekend.

Getting only one-day of practice, Garcia and Nazario, who named their team Bubu Chacha, still came out victorious after edging College of St. Benilde Blazers’ John Laurence Donguines and Daniel Baylosis, 2-1, in their best-of-three title duel to pocket the top purse worth P100,000.

Losing the first match, Garcia, who is part of the team playing in next month’s World Chess Olympiad in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, and Nazario, who finished in the quarterfinals of the inaugural WR Bughouse Championship last month in Taguig, came roaring back by seizing the next two matches including the rubber.

Metaboys’ Samson Lim III and Jerich Cajeras, who topped the qualification round, swept DCSK’s Noel dela Cruz and Timothy John So Kua in two outings to finish third place in this one-day meet backed by WR Chess’ Wadim Rosenstein, the Philippine Sports Commission, Quezon City and the NCFP.

More than a hundred participants saw action and battled through eight grueling rounds for the eight seats to the playoff stage.

Apart from the four semifinalists, Chronosphere’s IM Pau Bersamina and Rafiel Irvin Lacorte, Datamatics Red’s Mark Kevin Labog and John Michael Magpily, Ruy Lopez Kidz’s Zach Evan Orzame and Marco Piolo Sanido, and Stopper’s IM Michael Concio, Jr. and FIDE Master Alekhine Nouri also made the playoff cut.