By Adrian Stewart Co

Negros Kingsmen and Iloilo Kisela Knights bested their foreigner foes in the Professional Chess Association of the Philippines (PCAP) San Miguel Corporation-Ayala Land Cup on Wednesday night.

The Kingsmen dismantled guest team Double Bishop Bangkok, 18-3, for its third consecutive victory and improved their stand in the Southern Division rankings with 3-2 win-loss slate.

The Kingsmen edged Bangkok in the blitz game, 5-2, behind wins by Rowelyn Acedo (Board 3), Jenny Mayor (Board 4), Theseus Benitez Jr. (Board 5), and Adrian dela Cruz (Board 7) and draws by Mari Turqueza (Board 1) and Junaico Segismar (Board 2).

The Negrenses also dominated Double Bishop in the rapid event with Segismar, Acedo, Mayor, Benitez, Rolzon Roullo (Board 6), and Dela Cruz taking two points each and Turquiza settling for a draw.

“The team was in high spirits and it showed in our games and we were able to convert to a comfortable win against Bangkok,” said Segismar, who serves as the team’s playing team manager.

The Kisela Knights, on the other hand, were also victorious as it walloped Pengcheng, 20-1, to move up to second place in the Southern Division standings with four wins and a loss.

Carrying the cudgels for Iloilo in the blitz game were Rogelio Antonio Jr. (Board 1), Karl Victor Ochoa (Board 2), Cesar Mariano (Board 4), Fritz Bryan Porras (Board 5), John Michael Silvederio (Board 6), and Mark Mariano (Board 7).

The Kisela Knights also drubbed Pengchang in the rapid event with Antonio, Ochoa, Chery Ann Mejia (Board 3), Cesar Mariano, Porras, Silvederio, and Mark Mariano winning their respective matches.

However, the Kingsmen and Kisela Knights were reduced to just a game each on Wednesday after the PCAP decided to postpone the second game due to technical difficulty.

The Kingsmen will return to action on Saturday night against Olongapo Rainbow Team 7 at 7:00 p.m. and Pasig Batch Towers at 9:00 p.m., while Kisela Knights will face Batch Towers at seven and Caloocan Loadmanna Knight./ASC, WDJ