Far Eastern University survived University of the Philippines’ upset try and escaped with a 2.5-1.5 victory to move on the verge of claiming its fifth title in the UAAP Season 82 Women's Chess tournament at Quadricentennial Pavilion, Sunday.

Shania Mae Mendoza, an Olympiad mainstay and former national women’s champion, and Marife dela Torre saved the day for the Lady Tams with wins on boards one and three, respectively, while Bea Mendoza drew with Geraldine Guyo on board two.

The result hiked the Morayta-based lady chessers total 35 points after 12 rounds, or 2.5 points ahead of the second-running La Salle Lady Archers, last year’s champions with 32.5 points.

FEU should be the favorite to hurdle Adamson and University of Santo Tomas in its final two outings Saturday and Sunday to snare its fifth crown.

Mathematically, La Salle still has a chance to snatch the crown if it could pull off big wins over National University and Ateneo in its last two matches and hope FEU loses its own remaining games.

The Lady Woodpushers actually had a chance to trim their deficit but managed just a slim 2.5-1.5 triumph over the University of the East Lady Warriors.

Antoinette Marie San Diego, who made her first Olympiad stint in Batumi, Georgia last year, and Ella Grace Moulic delivered the wins on the top two boards but Samantha Glo Revita was held to a standoff by Isabel Palibino on board three while Franchell Eds Javier succumbed to Shaira Mae Aquino on board four.

Tied at third with 30 points apiece were University of Santo Tomas and Ateneo, which both hammered out 4-0 wins over Adamson and NU.PR