By Lynde Salgados
Correspondent

THE Laguna Heroes and the Iloilo Kisela Knights, the defending first and second conference champions, on Wednesday night overcame their respective opponents to advance on Saturday’s semifinals of the Professional Chess Association of the Philippines’ (PCAP) season-ending 3rd Conference held via online Chess.com platform.

Anchored by the Grandmaster pair of Rogelio ‘Banjo’ Barcenilla Jr and John Paul Gomez, the Laguna Heroes dominated the guest squad Davao Chess Wizards in two sets, 16-five and 14.5-6.5.

The US-based Barcenilla has roots in Cagayan de Oro being close relative to the prominent Padua and Raagas families, and once had represented the City of Gold in the national inter-cities tourney.

The Iloilo Knights, powered by the iconic GM Rogelio ‘Joey’ Antonio, Jr and former child prodigy Karl Victor Ochoa, went to Armageddon playoff to withstand the tough Toledo City Trojans, 12-nine, 10.5-10.5, and three-zero and clinch a semis berth.

Considered as the luckiest team after making the quarterfinals despite a six-game losing streak late in the second round elimination, the Camarines Soaring Eagles did it again ― moving forward ― at the expense of the Southern division pacesetter Philippine Paralympic team.

Bannered by US-based GM Mark Paragua and rapid expert Ellan Asuela, the last quarterfinal round qualifier Camarines surprised the Para chessers, 11-10 and 12-nine in the biggest turn-around of this foreign-laced conference.

“Barely qualifying after we tied them at eight-15 with them prevailing in tie-breaker despite losing their last six matches, the CamSur bets were indeed very lucky as GM Paragua finally showed up in time to lead the team’s semis bid,” said Surigao Fianchetto’s team-playing owner, Arena Grandmaster Rey Urbiztondo.

“Obviously, the Para team’s key players were also exhausted as they just came from a 10-day battle in the 4th World Chess Championship for people with disabilities where they managed to take the bronze,” added Urbiztondo, referring to the Para foursome of AGM Henry Roger Lopez, Fide Master Sander Severino, and National Masters Jasper Rom and Darry Bernardo.

Rom acknowledged that they were indeed caught off-guard.

“GM Paragua suddenly showed up for Camarines and we had difficulty adjusting from the world tourney's long game format. I was a piece up in three of my four matches but failed to convert them. Our senior player Joselito Cada has also defaulted on board four. The breaks of the games just went to Camsur’s side,” Rom said.

Lapu-lapu also upsets Singapore, nine-12, 13.5-7.5, and two-one. While Caloocan ― reinforced by the youthful tandem of World Cup-bound IM Paulo Bersamina and PCAP All-Filipino best player IM Gem Garcia ― survived the GM Ino Sadorra-led Manila Indios Bravos in a head-on clash, zero-three and 13-eight that was settled in Armageddon duel, two-one.

Other matches saw Pasig overpowering Rizal Batch Towers, 16-five and 17.5-3.5, and the San Juan Predators blasting the Isabela’s Knights of Alexander, 15.5-5.5 and 18-three.

Also, Malaysia’s Penang squad waylaid the strong Negros Kingsmen in the Armageddon, 10-11, 12-nine, and three-zero to remain as the only contender among four foreign guest teams in the exciting semifinals.

“Very exciting quarterfinal matches. This is just the first time that exciting games were decided in an impressive number of Armageddon plays,” said PCAP commissioner in Filipino lawyer Paul Elauria.

Dueling it out in knockout semis round on Saturday are Pasig against Caloocan and Laguna versus San Juan for the North, then Camarines against Penang, Malaysia, and Lapu-lapu opposite Iloilo in the South.