DAVAO City  -- Defending champion Paulo Bersamina and newly-crowned  boys  20 under  champion  Mari  Joseph Turqueza    pulled off  back-to-back victories in the boys division, even as  Janelle Mae Frayna finally made her presence felt  in the girls  category in the  2011 National Juniors chess championships at the NCCC Mall here Sunday.

Bersamina, who made history by becoming the  youngest player to win the national  junior  championship  at age 12 years and three months  during last year’s edition also held in Davao,  whipped Alvin Acas in the second round and  Jerwell Andy  the following round to take the lead  with three straight victories in the centerpiece boys division.

The  13-year-old mainstay of Far Eastern University chess team  under GM Jayson  Gonzales  also won his opening-day assignment  over Ryan Concepcion.

Turqueza, who bagged the title in the boys 20 under division in the recent Inday Sarah Duterte-National age-group championships last week,   swept Arvin Jongko in the second round and   Jerad Docena  the following round to  share the lead with Bersamina and  six other players going into  the fourth round.

Turqueza,  the 18-year-old  BS Psychology student of  San Sebastian College, won by default  over  Harold  Leo  Carborila in the first round.

Tied for the lead with Bersamina and Turqueza  with perfect scores of three points are  Vince Angelo Medina,  Giovanni  Mejia, McDominique  Lagula,  Kevin Mirano, John Ray Batucan and  Davao City  sensation  Austin Jacobn  Literatus.

Medina defeated Adrian Acas and Richelieu Salcedo,  Mejia dumped  Mathhew Anora and Kenneth John Tabada,  Lagula outplayed  Felix  Shaun Balbona and  Mark Villanueva,  Mirano  subdued John  Leigh Aguete and   Emmanuel Songcuya,  Batucan downed  Haince Patrick de Leon and  Ademar Toleran and Literatus crushed Kyle Sevillano and  Jason Coquilla.

Top seed Sheider Nebato drew with Aglibay Oberio in  the second  round and won over  Philip John Leyson to lead  four other players with 2.5 points each.

Also with the same score are Paul Robert Evangelista, Alllan Pason,  Diego Claro and Lennon Hart Salgados.

In the girls division, Frayna  outclassed  Hanah Joyce Amonico and  top seed Jedara Docena  to gain a share of the  lead with  Rowelyn Acedo  and Judith   Pienda with three wins in as  many matches.

Acedo humbled  Jesamari Bacsal and  Mikee Charlene Suede, while Pineda  smothered  Veronica Bondoc and  Akiko Charmaine Suede.

Four  players -- Marie Antoinette San Diego,   Cherry Ann Mejia,  Jessa Marie Balbona and  Nikki Erica Yngayo -- shared fourth  to  seventh places with 2.5 points.

Docena leads a big group of players still in contention with two points.

A total of  137 players  -- 91 boys and  46 girls -- are seeing action int his  annual tournament organized by the NCFP, headed  by president/chairman Prospero “Butch” Pichay, in  cooperation  with the Davao City government, led by Mayor Inday Sarah Duterte.