By ADRIAN STEWART CO
The Negros Island Region (NIR) Kingsmen maintained their unblemished slate in the 2023 Professional Chess Association of the Philippines (PCAP) All-Filipino Conference, while the Iloilo Kisela Knights also scored twin wins over the weekend.
The Kingsmen opened the evening with a 13.5-7.5 victory over Team Arriba Iriga City-Team Camarines before following it up with a 17-4 rout of Tacloban Vikings for a 9-0 record in the Southern Division standings.
After being held to a 3.5-3.5 draw in the blitz game, NIR bounced back in the rapid game against Team Arriba, 10-4, with Mari Joseph Turquiza, Bernadette Galas, Rogelio Antonio Jr., Ellan Asuela, and Jerich Cajeras scoring two points each.
The Kingsmen edged the Vikings in the blitz event, 5-2, with full points each from David Elorta (Board 1), Antonio (Board 4), Asuela (Board 5), Ted Ian Montoyo (Board 6), and Rolzon Roullo (Board 7).
The Negrenses then pounded the Vikings in the rapid game, 12-2, with Elorta, Galas (Board 3), Antonio, Asuela, Montoyo, and Roullo delivering the full two points each for their squad.
Meanwhile, the Kisela Knights stayed in second place with a 7-2 win-loss record after scoring a 16-5 victory over the Vikings followed by a 17.5-6.5 triumph over the Cebu Niños.
The Kisela Knights walloped the Vikings in the blitz event, 6-1, with full points each from Mark Mariano (Board 2), Fiona Geeneweth Guirhem (Board 3), Cesar Mariano (Board 4), Fritz Bryan Porras (Board 5), Rolly Parondo Jr. (Board 6), and Lloyd Lanciola (Board 7).
The Ilonggos also dominated the Vikings in the rapid game, 10-4, with Guirhem, Cesar Mariano, Parondo, and Lanciola connecting two points each, and Jovelyn Sepanton (Board 1) and Mark Mariano splitting their points.
The Kisela Knights also showed their way over Niños in the blitz, 5.5-1.5, with Horizon Villanueva (Board 1), Guirhem, Cesar Mariano, Porras, and Parondo having full points each and Lanciola with half point.
The Ilonggos also prevailed over the Cebuanos in the rapid event, 12-2, with Villanueva, Mark Mariano, Guirhem, Cesar Mariano, Porras, and Parondo delivering two full points each./ASC, WDJ