AT least five teams from Mindanao will duel it out in the Philippine Chess League (PCL) Season 3 which will unfurl on Friday, April 8 at 8 pm via lichess.com online platform.
Surigao, Davao, Zamboanga, Malaybalay, and Dipolog will be among the 22 teams contesting in the amateur league, featuring top talents around the country including those who regularly compete in the Professional Chess Association of the Philippines.
“The PCL, as an amateur league, and PCAP as the country’s first professional league, will benefit from each other with (the) same goal of harnessing the talents of Filipino woodpushers down to the grassroots level,” said Arena Grandmaster Rey Urbiztondo, who owns PCAP’s Surigao Fianchetto Checkmates and PCL’s Surigao Diamond Knights.
Still, the Chessmis TV Chess Team will be the title favorite again in Season 3’s online challenge which gets the full support of Mayor Sara Duterte that encourages the fielding of newcomer Davao Durianburg as a solid team entry.
“I think these three teams (Chessmis TV, Surigao, Davao) will vie strongly for the top honors as they’re all star-studded,” US Master and sportswriter Marlon Bernardino told Gold Star Daily.
With the guidance of Engineers Billy Joe Ereno and Jeson Bolando, Chessmis TV had further solidified its roster with the addition of Sherwin Tiu joining forces with Anatoly Pascua, AGM Julius Ablin, Jayson Salubre, Jimmy Dano, Apollo Agapay, coach Nazario Ubanan, team captain Junmark Baldesimo, and team manager John Percival Chua, among others.
Anchored by PCAP teammates Lennon Hart Salgados, Alfred Rapanot, and last season’s PCL MVP Mariel Batulan Romero, the Surigao team will be reinforced by former UAAP stars Kevin Mirano, Adrian Perez, and Alexis Mirabao alongside the three strong-playing lawyers Cliburn Anthony Orbe, Melzar Galicia and Jason Bandal as well as Dr. Wil Maghanoy from Iligan City.
The Davao Durianburg, skippered by Atty. Jong Guevarra will also be parading top non-masters in the region such as Ariel Aton and Anthony Mosqueda who are mainstays of the Davao Chess Eagles that made it to the division finals of the ongoing PCAP 2022 All-Filipino Conference.
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