By ADRIAN STEWART CO
The Iloilo Kisela Knights and Negros Kingsmen stretched their winning runs further with separate victories in the 2022 Professional Chess Association of the Philippines (PCAP) Third Conference.
The Kisela Knights are tied for top spot in the Southern Division standings with 18-2, following a 16-5 domination of Laguna Heroes and a 2-1 Armageddon win over San Juan Predators.
Against Laguna, Iloilo scored a 6-1 win in a blitz game with victories by Rogelio Antonio, Jr. (Board 1), Karl Victor Ochoa (Board 2), Cherry Ann Mejia (Board 3), Fritz Bryan Porras (Board 5), Rolly Parondo, Jr. (Board 6), and John Michael Silvederio (Board 7).
The Kisela Knights also defeated the Heroes in the rapid game, 10-4, with two pointers each from Ochoa, Mejia, Porras, and Silvederio and split points by Antonio and Cesar Mariano (Board 4).
The Kisela Knights edged the Predators in the blitz event, 4.5-2.5, but San Juan managed to bounce back in the rapid game, 8-6, resulting in an Armageddon as both teams ended with a 10.5-10.5 score.
Ochoa and Antonio carried on the fight for the Kisela Knights in Armageddon as they beat San Juan’s Paulo Bersamina and Narquinden Reyes. Silvederio bowed to the Predators’ Jem Garcia.
On the other hand, the Kingsmen were in third place in the Southern Division standings at 17-3 after scoring a lopsided 17-4 victory over Manila Indio Bravos before beating Heroes, 13-8.
The Kingsmen edged Indio Bravos in the blitz event, 5-2, courtesy of full points each by David Elorta (Board 1), Mari Joseph Turquiza (Board 2), Rolzon Roullo (Board 5), Joel Pimentel (Board 6), and Edsel Montoya (Board 7).
The Negrenses also dominated Manila in the rapid game, 12-2, with two pointers from Elorta, Turquiza, Bernadette Galas (Board 3), Pimentel, and Montoya and split points by Edmundo Gatus (Board 4) and Roullo.
The Kingsmen also edged the Heroes in the blitz game, 5-2, with Elorta (Board 1), Galas (Board 3), Ellan Asuela (Board 5), and Montoya (Board 7) and half points by Turqueza (Board 2) and Gatus (Board 4).
The Negrenses barely defeated Laguna in the rapid event, 8-6, with Galas, Asuela and Pimentel capturing two points each, while Turqueza and Gatus splitting points with their opponents./ASC, WDJ