THE last team standing among four Mindanao entries, the Davao Chess Eagles battle the top-seeded Iloilo Kisela Knights tonight for the Southern Division title of the 2022 Professional Chess Association of the Philippines All-Filipino Conference.
The veterans-laden Davao Eagles have yet to beat the Wesley So Cup winner Kisela Knights of Grandmaster Rogelio Antonio Jr who dominated them ― four times ― since the Davawenyos’ participation last season as a guest squad in the country’s first-ever professional chess league.
All four Mindanao teams have qualified for the PCAP quarterfinals, but only the Davao Eagles advanced after defeating the Camarines Soaring Eagles in two sets, 15-6 and 14.5-6.5.
Both the Surigao Fianchetto Checkmates and the Cagayan de Oro Higalas got swept, 2-0 by the Ilonggos and the Negros Kingsmen, respectively.
“We bested them twice in the elimination rounds, but we failed to deliver in the playoff stage,” Surigao team owner, Arena Grandmaster Rey Urbiztondo said of the Negros Kingsmen.
More disheartening, however, was the fate of the Zamboanga Sultans who surprised the Toledo Trojans in the first set, and then took the blitz contest in the second set. But the Kingsmen rebounded in the rapid play en route to upstaging the Zamboanga Sultans via the Armageddon tiebreaker, 2-1.
Against the Davao Eagles in the division semifinals, the Toledo Trojans ran out of luck, yielding 6-15 and 8.5-12.5.
On the Northern side, the front-running Pasig City Pirates and the San Juan Predators overwhelmed the Caloocan LoadManna Knights and Manila Indios Bravos, also in two sets, to arrange a division title showdown.
The Davao team’s upset bid against Iloilo will be spearheaded by Sander Severino, a world chess champion for the differently-abled woodpushers, and fellow Fide Master Roel Abelgas.
Also with the team are National Masters Jonathan Tan, Alexander Lupian and Henry Lopez as well as Aglipay 8 Oberio, Joy Acedo, Mary Palero Segarra, James Infiesto, Allan Diez, Arnel Aton, Anthony Mosqueda, Cris Yap, Atty. Jong Guevarra, and Nap Recososa.
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