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Ruben Ondangan is the 2013 AV Chess Player of The Year!

by Opinion • January 22, 2014

Lancaster resident Ruben Ondangan ranks 75th out of 2,627 active USCF chess players in California. (Contributed photo)
Lancaster resident Ruben Ondangan ranks 75th out of 2,627 active USCF chess players in California. (Contributed photo)

By Daa Anne Mahowald of AV Chess House & Say Yes to Chess

LANCASTER – For the second year in a row, United States Chess Federation (USCF) “National Chess Master” Ruben Ondangan Jr. has won the Antelope Valley Chess Player of the Year championship!

The 40-year-old local pastor learned to play chess at 14. (Contributed)
The 40-year-old local pastor learned to play chess at 14. (Contributed)

Ondangan, 40, is a pastor at Lancaster Christian Ministries Church and is a resident of Lancaster. A native of the Philippines, he was born in Quezon City and graduated from the University of Manila.

He learned to play chess at age 14 and now, out of 2627 active USCF chess players in California, Ondangan ranks 75th.

USCF “Candidate Chess Master” Craig Anderson of Palmdale won 2nd place in the Player of the Year competition. And Christian Mercado of Palmdale placed third in the competition.

The AV Chess House sponsored the 2nd Annual Antelope Valley Chess Player of the Year championship, which ran from January 1 through December 31, 2013.

How Player of the Year (POY) points are earned

  • Every USCF-rated game played in the Antelope Valley counts.
  • Every USCF-rated game won gives the winner 1 POY point.
  • Every USCF-rated game drawn gives each player .5 POY point.
  • Every USCF-rated game lost gives the loser .25 POY point.
  • The person with the highest number of POY points by December 31 wins 1st Place and earns the right to take possession of the Traveling Trophy until unseated by the next year’s POY Champion.
  • 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Place winners each receive a certificate declaring their POY status.
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Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect the views of The AV Times.

Email letters@theavtimes.com to submit a story to Your Issues | Your News.

Filed Under: Opinion

3 comments for "Ruben Ondangan is the 2013 AV Chess Player of The Year!"

  1. Federico Gamboa says

    March 17, 2014 at 3:26 pm

    God bless you.I visited your church several times,with sister Maria.I hope to visit Antelope Valley ,as soon as this year

  2. lucy says

    January 23, 2014 at 7:59 am

    Thank you Ruben for showing us that not all news in the AV is bad. Great accomplishment!

  3. Mark says

    January 23, 2014 at 7:13 am

    Besides being a great Chess Player, Ruben has to be one of the nicest guys you’ll ever meet. Congratulations Ruben. M. Ridgway

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