DAVAO CITY– International Master Paulo Bersamina and prodigy Daniel Quizon spearheaded the country’s campaign and pulled off opening day victories in the premier Open Under-20 division even as Shania Mae Mendoza carried the fight in the girls U20 in the 19th ASEAN+ Age Group Chess Championships at the Royal Mandaya Hotel in Davao City Tuesday night.

Bersamina, a former member of the Philippine Olympiad squad, downed Vietnam’s Nguyen Huynh Tuan while Quizon, the youngest participant in this class at 14 years old, bested countryman Coellier Graspela to zoom to the early share of the lead.

Other Filipinos who hurdled their first-round assignment were Rhenzi Kyle Sevillano, who trounced Gino Asuncion, and Sarri Subahani, who stunned FIDE Maser Stephen Rome Pangilinan, and IM John Marvin Miciano, who walked over South Korea’s Kwon Sehyun.

Jeth Romy Morado fell to Vietnam’s Pham Minh Hieu while the Philippines’ Nelson Busa, Jr. lost to FM Agni Jeevitesh Sai of India.