11th Search for the Next Chess Master 2025

Open SwissStandard

60 players participated in this 7-round tournament, held from 30 Aug 2025 to 31 Aug 2025 in Robinsons Place, Dumaguete City, Negros Oriental, Philippines. Top 10 Elo average was 1630, and top seed was Noel Jr Bernil (🇵🇭 PHI, 1787).

Brett Pert Catipay (🇵🇭 PHI, 1573) won with 6.0/7, ahead of Jed Axcel Tubio (6.0) and Noel Jr Bernil (6.0). Catipay won on tie-break after catching the field in the final round.

The biggest upset came in round 5: Jed Axcel Tubio (1602) beat Noel Jr Bernil (1787), a +185-point gap.

Location

🇵🇭Robinsons Place, Dumaguete City, Negros Oriental, Philippines

Dates

30 Aug 2025 → 31 Aug 2025

Time control

Standard: 30 minutes for game with 30 seconds increment from move 1

System

Swiss · 7 rounds

Top seed

🇵🇭Noel Jr Bernil1787

Avg top 10

1,630

Participants

Federations · 1 represented

🇵🇭Philippines×50

Top 3

🥇
Brett Pert Catipay
🇵🇭PHI·1573
6.0pts·1853perf+81.6
🥈
Jed Axcel Tubio
🇵🇭PHI·1602
6.0pts·1863perf+75.2
🥉
Noel Jr Bernil
🇵🇭PHI·1787
6.0pts·1857perf+18.0

How it unfolded

Top 6 · 7 rounds

Tight race until R7; 3 players tied at 6.0/7, decided on Buchholz. Title race narrowed from 2 co-leaders at R4 to 3 at the finish.

Co-leaders

Catipay6Bernil6Tubio6Ortaliz5Bagaybagayan5Francisco5

R7 · TIEBREAK CLUSTER

3 players finish on 6.0/7. Catipay takes the title on Buchholz Cut1 (29.0).

R4 · HEAD-TO-HEAD · WINNER VS 2ND

Brett Pert Catipay lost to Noel Jr Bernil (White).

WIN STREAKS · 3 top finishers

Brett Pert Catipay 3+3 wins (R1–R3, R5–R7)Noel Jr Bernil 4 wins (R1–R4)Jed Axcel Tubio 6 wins (R1–R6)

Key matchups · top 4

Head-to-head between the four finishers

Player	1	2	3	4
1Brett Pert Catipay	*	0	1	—
2Noel Jr Bernil	1	*	0	—
3Jed Axcel Tubio	0	1	*	—
4John Cedric Ortaliz	—	—	—	*

Grille américaine

#	Player	Elo	Fed	R1	R2	R3	R4	R5	R6	R7	Pts	Bu C1	Bu	SB	Perf	Δ
1	Catipay, Brett Pert	1573	PHI	+35B	+29N	+16B	−3B	+4N	+11B	+2N	6.0	29.0	32.0	26.00	1853	+81.6
2	Tubio, Jed Axcel	1602	PHI	+34B	+20N	+18B	+15N	+3N	+7B	−1B	6.0	29.0	32.0	26.00	1863	+75.2
3	Bernil, Noel Jr	1787	PHI	+50B	+12N	+17B	+1N	−2B	+15B	+9N	6.0	29.0	31.0	25.00	1857	+18.0
4	Francisco, Tyler	1569	PHI	+49B	+57N	+9B	=6N	−1B	+10N	=8B	5.0	27.0	28.0	17.00	1622	+14.8
5	Bagaybagayan, Jo Sean	0	PHI	=6B	+19N	=10B	+18N	=9B	=14N	+15B	5.0	26.5	30.5	21.25	1612	0.0
6	Ortaliz, John Cedric	1635	PHI	=5N	+24B	+27N	=4B	−15N	+16B	+22N	5.0	26.0	29.5	20.50	1717	+24.0
7	Balvestamin, David James	1582	PHI	+31B	−10N	+44B	+16N	+26B	−2N	+20B	5.0	25.5	28.0	17.50	1569	-2.4
8	Flores, John Paul	1445	PHI	+59B	−17N	=19B	+55N	+32B	+13B	=4N	5.0	22.0	22.0	13.50	1657	+45.2
9	Catalan, Prince Ed Zyle	1666	PHI	+41N	+39B	−4N	+22B	=5N	+27B	−3B	4.5	26.5	29.5	16.00	1657	-1.6
10	Amores, Amir	1429	PHI	+58N	+7B	=5N	=42B	=13N	−4B	+27N	4.5	26.0	26.0	14.75	1653	+60.4
11	Barinan, Casey Josh	1649	PHI	+47B	+26N	−15B	+32N	+17B	−1N	=12B	4.5	25.0	27.0	14.75	1595	-16.0
12	Sapuan, Dwayne Alekhine	1532	PHI	+38N	−3B	+28N	−13B	+36N	+37B	=11N	4.5	24.5	27.5	14.75	1411	-16.4
13	Moralidad, Jayden Lawrence	1616	PHI	+44B	−32N	+55B	+12N	=10B	−8N	+21N	4.5	23.5	25.0	14.75	1387	-50.4
14	Bernil, Zeus Mael	1590	PHI	−33N	+36B	=21N	=37B	+57N	=5B	+29N	4.5	21.5	22.5	13.50	2207	+10.4
15	Bernil, Faith Jove	1560	PHI	+36N	+33B	+11N	−2B	+6B	−3N	−5N	4.0	29.5	32.5	15.50	1668	+22.8
16	Genoso, Cassandra Faith	1469	PHI	+48N	+23B	−1N	−7B	+28N	−6N	+38B	4.0	26.5	28.5	12.50	1402	-13.2
17	Granada, Ethan Gavriel	1571	PHI	+54N	+8B	−3N	+30B	−11N	=29B	=32N	4.0	25.5	27.5	13.75	1532	-12.8
18	Genoso, Lorenzo Gabriel	1549	PHI	+56N	+28B	−2N	−5B	+33N	=30B	=23N	4.0	25.0	26.5	11.75	1409	-22.4
19	Moreno, Prince Allen	0	PHI	+30N	−5B	=8N	+45B	=23N	−22B	+34N	4.0	24.5	27.0	13.50	1493	0.0
20	Pineda, Liander Cletherow	1487	PHI	+51N	−2B	=37N	+33B	=21N	+34B	−7N	4.0	24.0	26.0	11.50	792	-28.4
21	Galoy, Justin	0	PHI	−42B	+46N	=14B	+25N	=20B	+26N	−13B	4.0	23.5	25.5	13.75	1559	0.0
22	Gonzales, Yael	1471	PHI	+46B	−42N	+34B	−9N	+35B	+19N	−6B	4.0	22.5	24.5	12.00	829	-35.2
23	Tejamo, Janebert	1588	PHI	+53B	−16N	+50B	−26N	=19B	+45N	=18B	4.0	20.0	22.0	10.50	1405	-40.8
24	Torres, Zhaick Lucas	1517	PHI	−55B	−6N	−38B	+43N	+40B	+49N	+35B	4.0	19.0	20.5	11.00	835	-13.6
25	Melocoton, Matthew	1574	PHI	−28N	+56B	−33N	−21B	+51N	+36B	+30N	4.0	19.0	20.5	10.00	2213	+11.6
26	Pineda, Jade Martin	1501	PHI	+37N	−11B	+54N	+23B	−7N	−21B	=28N	3.5	24.0	26.0	10.75	1481	-2.8
27	Abada, Al Godwin	1554	PHI	+52B	=55N	−6B	+31N	+29B	−9N	−10B	3.5	23.0	24.5	9.75	1341	-44.4
28	Anhao, Moira Thea	0	PHI	+25B	−18N	−12B	+40N	−16B	+57N	=26B	3.5	23.0	24.0	9.75	1376	0.0
29	Inoveno, Cee Jay	1407	PHI	+60N	−1B	+48N	+39B	−27N	=17N	−14B	3.5	23.0	23.0	7.00	1417	+2.4
30	Sayre, Jhonalyn	1413	PHI	−19B	+52N	+35B	−17N	+46B	=18N	−25B	3.5	21.0	23.0	9.00	1292	-16.0
31	Baisac, Nicholyde	0	PHI	−7N	+58B	=45N	−27B	−44B	+48N	+47B	3.5	17.5	17.5	5.25	1255	0.0
32	Pinero, Joseph	1491	PHI	F	+13B	=42N	−11B	−8N	+44N	=17B	3.0	24.0	26.5	10.50	1501	+2.4
33	Solique, Shanley Maira	0	PHI	+14B	−15N	+25B	−20N	−18B	+46N	−37N	3.0	23.5	25.5	10.50	1480	0.0
34	Ho, Jushua Anthony	0	PHI	−2N	+51B	−22N	+48B	+39N	−20N	−19B	3.0	23.0	25.0	7.00	1333	0.0
35	Baisac, Ezrah Portia	0	PHI	−1N	+60B	−30N	+51B	−22N	+39B	−24N	3.0	22.5	22.5	5.00	1263	0.0
36	Solique, Zoe Claire	0	PHI	−15B	−14N	+40B	+47N	−12B	−25N	+46B	3.0	22.0	24.0	7.00	764	0.0
37	Torres, Zhaira Sophia	0	PHI	−26B	+47N	=20B	=14N	F	−12N	+33B	3.0	21.5	23.5	9.25	1335	0.0
38	Zerna, Shekienna Dawn	0	PHI	−12B	−50N	+24N	−54B	+60N	+41B	−16N	3.0	19.5	19.5	7.00	1381	0.0
39	Francisco, Zane Anthon	1542	PHI	+40B	−9N	+57B	−29N	−34B	−35N	+52B	3.0	19.0	20.0	6.00	737	-40.4
40	Villaflores, Frachette Alodia	0	PHI	−39N	+41B	−36N	−28B	−24N	+58B	+57B	3.0	17.5	17.5	4.00	730	0.0
41	Verdida, Michael Azariah	0	PHI	−9B	−40N	−46B	+59N	+52B	−38N	+48B	3.0	16.5	16.5	4.00	866	0.0
42	Adalia, John Welbert	1585	PHI	+21N	+22B	=32B	=10N	F	F	F	3.0	15.5	15.5	11.75	1589	+0.4
43	Anqui, Declan Marco	0	PHI	F	−44N	−47B	−24B	+58N	+53N	+49B	3.0	15.5	15.5	4.00	717	0.0
44	Tubio, Edeline Venice Virtudez	0	PHI	−13N	+43B	−7N	=56B	+31N	−32B	−45B	2.5	21.5	23.0	7.25	734	0.0
45	Legaspi, Bryz Martin	1448	PHI	F	+49N	=31B	−19N	F	−23B	+44N	2.5	17.5	17.5	6.25	788	-12.4
46	FIDE 5291097	0	—	−22N	−21B	+41N	+58B	−30N	−33B	−36N	2.0	20.5	20.5	3.00	643	0.0
47	Verdida, Gabriel Castiel	0	PHI	−11N	−37B	+43N	−36B	−48N	+51B	−31N	2.0	19.0	21.0	5.00	849	0.0
48	FIDE 5291119	0	—	−16B	+53N	−29B	−34N	+47B	−31B	−41N	2.0	19.0	21.0	4.00	638	0.0
49	FIDE 521048681	0	—	−4N	−45B	+58N	−50N	+53B	−24B	−43N	2.0	18.5	18.5	2.00	711	0.0
50	Taring, Harold Jr	0	PHI	−3N	+38B	−23N	+49B	F	F	F	2.0	18.0	18.0	5.00	888	0.0
51	FIDE 521046441	0	—	−20B	−34N	+53B	−35N	−25B	−47N	+60B	2.0	18.0	18.0	2.00	731	0.0
52	FIDE 521070890	0	—	−27N	−30B	+60N	−57B	−41N	+59B	−39N	2.0	14.0	14.0	0.00	703	0.0
53	FIDE 521065500	0	—	−23N	−48B	−51N	+60B	−49N	−43B	+59N	2.0	13.0	13.0	0.00	788	0.0
54	FIDE 521058369	0	—	−17B	+59N	−26B	+38N	F	F	F	2.0	10.5	10.5	3.00	736	0.0
55	Villahermosa, Loise Glory	0	PHI	+24N	=27B	−13N	−8B	F	F	F	1.5	19.5	19.5	5.75	1446	0.0
56	FIDE 521050783	0	—	−18B	−25N	+59B	=44N	F	F	F	1.5	10.5	10.5	1.25	762	0.0
57	Silva, Margaret	0	PHI	F	−4B	−39N	+52N	−14B	−28B	−40N	1.0	21.0	21.0	2.00	767	0.0
58	FIDE 521070911	0	—	−10B	−31N	−49B	−46N	−43B	−40N	F	0.0	18.0	18.0	0.00	629	0.0
59	Bomongcag, Piona	0	PHI	−8N	−54B	−56N	−41B	F	−52N	−53B	0.0	15.5	15.5	0.00	645	0.0
60	FIDE 521070920	0	—	−29B	−35N	−52B	−53N	−38B	F	−51N	0.0	15.5	15.5	0.00	607	0.0

Key insights

Biggest movers and upsets — the story behind the numbers.

Top rating gainers

1Catipay, Brett PertPHI
+81.6
6.0 pts · #1
2Tubio, Jed AxcelPHI
+75.2
6.0 pts · #3
3Amores, AmirPHI
+60.4
4.5 pts · #11

Top rating losers

1Moralidad, Jayden LawrencePHI
-50.4
4.5 pts · #20
2Abada, Al GodwinPHI
-44.4
3.5 pts · #25
3Tejamo, JanebertPHI
-40.8
4.0 pts · #22

Biggest upsets

R5+185 Elo gap
Tubio, Jed Axcel1602 beat Bernil, Noel Jr1787
R6+171 Elo gap
Flores, John Paul1445 beat Moralidad, Jayden Lawrence1616
R2+153 Elo gap
Amores, Amir1429 beat Balvestamin, David James1582