by Marlon Bernardino
SINGAPORE---LIKE wine, Lincoln "Linky" Yap gets better with age.

Relying on his experience and mastery of the complicated game, the 60-year-old Yap, the pride of Cebu saved the Philippines' Bulldogs/Psalms 23 chess team anew by beating Rodolfo Janely in their London System Opening skirmish in Board 4 to help seal a 3.5-0.5 win over Bulldog Chess Brotherhood and a place in the top 2 after eight rounds of the QCD SG Chess League at the Aqueen Hotel in Paya Lebar, Singapore late Friday, August 24, 2018 here.

Arena Grandmaster and Fide Master elect Robert Suelo and John Harry Pereira seizing an important win on boards one and two, against Richard Angeles and Clyde Maligad Seruelo respectively.

Henry Ypil prevented a possible shut-out loss for his team as he drew with Filipino and United States chess master Almario Marlon Bernardino Jr. in their London System Opening clash in Board 3.

Lincoln, a certified International Arbiter by the World Chess Federation, and chess instructor. He is also the father of International Master (IM) Kim Steven Yap.

“Lincoln (Yap) has been the team’s life saver,” said Team Captain Xavier Chua.

The win catapulted the Philippines' Bulldogs/Psalms 23 chess team in a tied at second to third spot with 11 match points together Woof!Woof!Woof! (Singapore) led by Fide Master Timothy Wei Xuan Chan.

Pawnstars (Singapore) toppled Wolverines (Singapore), 3.5-0.5 to remained on top with 14 match points.

Organized by Singapore Chess Federation, tournament director is John Wong Fan Kong while Chief Arbiter is Fide Arbiter Christopher Lim in the thirty minutes plus 30 seconds increment rapid time control format, match points system. (Marlon Bernardino)