Palma stretched his amazing run to nine after he disposed of Cymone Charles Calpito and powered UE to a 3.5-.5 demolition of Ateneo that kept them the solo lead after 11 rounds in the Boys’ Division of the UAAP Season 82 Chess Tournament at the UST Quadricentennial Pavilion Saturday.

It was the ninth straight victory for Palma as he is in line to claim the top board gold medal as well as the MVP award in the division.

More importantly, he could accomplish the feat by staying perfect and with a championship to boot.

Also delivering the victories were John Kenneth Gelua and Norsh Daniel Francois Lopez on boards three and four, respectively, while Francis Roi Parro split the point with Liam Uriel Batnag on second board to cap the win.

UE now has 28 points, a point ahead of National University, which crushed La Salle-Zobel, 3.5-.5, on wins by Chester Neil Reyes, Mark Gerald Reyes, and Dennis Gutierrez, Jr. on boards one, two and four and a draw by Joseph Lawrence Rivera with Jefferson Danillo Villarin on third board, with 27.

Interestingly, UE and NU will face off in the 12th round Sunday in a showdown that could determine the champion in the division.

Adamson, meanwhile, shocked defending champion Far Eastern University, 2.5-1.5.

In the girls’ section, FEU turned back University of Santo Tomas, 2.5-1.5, to remain at the helm with 25.5 points, or just 1.5 points atop reigning titlist NU, which blanked La Salle-Zobel, 4-0, to hike its total to 24 points.

Adamson clobbered Ateneo, 4-0, in the only other match.PR