Quintana Roo's chess team has secured its first medal at the 2024 CONADE Nationals, thanks to a standout performance by Valeria García Góngora from Playa del Carmen. Demonstrating a high level of focus and strategic prowess, she claimed the national championship in the U-20 category of the Classical modality.
Góngora's journey to gold was a three-day marathon of intense competition at the Convention Center of the host hotel. Her winning strategy led to a gold medal for her state. The award ceremony for this discipline is scheduled for Saturday, May 25, where she will officially receive her gold medal.
"I'm thrilled and satisfied. I managed to keep my nerves in check from the first games, which was key to my victory," said the champion from the Solidaridad municipality. Góngora started strong, securing her first victories against Dulce Matías from Oaxaca, and then Erandi Hernández from Veracruz on the first day of competition.
On the second day, she triumphed over Estefanía Benito from Tabasco in a crucial third match. Benito later went on to compete for gold in the rankings. In the fourth round, Góngora earned half a point against Paula Hernández from Jalisco.
These victories placed Góngora among the top players in her division. She continued her winning streak by defeating Sofia Tec from Yucatan and later besting Paola Cabrera from Durango in a grueling four-hour duel.
After tying in points with the player from Tabasco, the medals were awarded based on the direct duel between these players. Góngora's previous victory over the Tabasco player secured her the gold medal.
The Quintana Roo team will return to action in the final two rounds of the discipline, first in the 25-minute Swiss Tournament, and then in the 10 and 3-minute modalities. The awards ceremony will follow, where it is anticipated that Quintana Roo athletes will be in strong contention for the medals.
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