HEADING for tonight’s grand finals, Grandmaster Rogelio ‘Joey’ Antonio, Jr has likened his Iloilo Kisela Knights to the NBA’s Golden State Warriors as they face the Los Angeles Lakers-like San Juan Predators for the 3rd Conference crown of the online Professional Chess Association of the Philippines (PCAP) chess tourney via chess.com.
The Iloilo Knights defeated the San Juan Predators in the 2nd Conference finals, but the country’s winningest National Open champion had readily embraced the underdog billings in their 7 pm face-off with the stacked Predators now further solidified by the addition of veteran International Master Rolando Nolte.
“The Iloilo Kisela Knights is like Golden State Warriors with just Steph Curry and a lot of potential players on their line-up. On the other hand, the San Juan Predators is like Los Angeles Lakers with full of superstars battling it out for PCAP 2021 3rd Conference Grand Finals,” Antonio said.
With Antonio in Iloilo’s back-to-back title quest is the same cast of youthful National Masters tandem of Karl Victor Ochoa and Fritz Bryan Porras, Woman Fide Master Cherry Ann Mejia, NM John Michael Silvederio, and PCAP Finals’ MVP NM Cesar Mariano.
Aside from the one-two punch of GM Oliver Barbosa and IM Nolte, the title-hungry Predators has WIM Jan Jodilyn Fronda, reliable IM senior Ricky de Guzman, and the troika of Fide Master Narquingden Reyes, Narciso Gumila, and Narquingel Reyes in their vast-improved roster.
Showing that they’re a different squad from the one that fell to the Ilonggos (eight-13 and 9.5-11.5) in the Wesley So Cup two-leg championship, the Predators crushed the Kisela Knights, 15-six in their previous lone encounter this conference.
“I am always very vocal that Iloilo is not the team to beat and not as strong as San Juan, Pasig, Laguna, Caloocan, Manila, and teams from the Southern side. But the determination and perseverance of the Ilonggos are always there. You can see the eagerness of every player to improve and learn,” said Antonio, who proudly acknowledged Ochoa and Porras for bailing them out of the Armageddon playoff trouble against the tough Malaysian foes during the South division finals.
Still, chess analysts believe that despite Nolte’s arrival, the crucial matches between Iloilo and San Juan in the two-leg finale will be on the ladies and senior boards.
“I agree with GM Antonio that they’re the underdog against San Juan. Isa lang para manalo ang Iloilo. Dapat gumana ulit sina WIM Mejia at NM Mariano at talunin nila ulit sina WIM Fronda at IM De Guzman,” said US chess master Marlon Bernardino.
The Mejia-Mariano magic, Bernardino said, is one of the formulas why Iloilo made it to PCAP Grandfinals for two consecutive conferences.
“As always, it really is a team effort, one covering another as what happened against Penang, Malaysia when GM Joey got upset in the tiebreaking match. That's our fighting spirit to always try and deliver the best,” shared Iloilo team owner Leo Sotaridona.
According to PCAP commissioner Paul Elauria, the season-ending conference highlighted the inherent chess talents of the Filipinos that left all four foreign guess squads from China, Singapore, Thailand, and Malaysia packing home early.
“Our foreign friends were really impressed that they’re looking forward to the next season,” Elauria said.
