THE Penang Blue Panthers from Malaysia wiggled out from the claws of their protesting Filipino rivals, the Camarines Soaring Eagles, to join three other home ground teams in the division championships of the Professional Chess Association of the Philippines’ (PCAP) season-ending 3rd Conference tonight.
With the controversial top board matches settled down after the blitz-feared Camarines duo of Grandmaster Mark Paragua and Ellan Asuela got ambushed by Fide Master Long Yinn Wong and National Master Evan Timothy Capel, the Malaysian bets remain as the only foreign squad left from the four neighboring Asian countries of Singapore, Thailand and China still contending in the big-four round.
Relying on the veterans and the present crop of young Filipino masters, Iloilo, San Juan, and Caloocan also survived the rigors of semifinal matches on Saturday, November 21 fraught with some drama and heartbreaking exit.
“After hearing and evaluating each team’s explanations, Penang’s win was affirmed by the Office of the Commissioner,” said PCAP commissioner Paul Elauria.
The Filipinos’ side was complaining that the opposition opened some tabs during the games, apart from switching devices, using a cellular phone that is strictly not allowed.
However, such forbidden acts were aptly warned by the arbiters as the Panthers also admitted that there was indeed mobile phone use, but only before the start of their semis weduel.
Based on PCAP rules, such a violation may warrant the first warning before forfeiture.
Likewise, the arbiters and the commissioner do not believe that engine assistance was used during the games, as read on some excerpts of the decision.
In the most attention-grabbing match of the night, the Soaring Eagles immediately clawed the Blue Panthers in the first set's blitz contest, 4.5-2.5 with Paragua and Asuela overpowering Wong and Capel.
But Wong got back at Paragua in the rapid play as Capel held Asuela to a draw in a 10.5-all standoff after which NM Carlo Lorena bested Penang’s Eric Cheah on board four.
In their second try at the rapid, Penang came out with a hard-earned eight-six triumph, then prevailed in Armageddon, two-one with Wong and Capel’s steamrolling of Paragua and Asuela.
Consistent scorer Virgen Gil Ruaya prevented the Eagles from being shut down with a win over International Master Zhi Yang Ooi.
In the second set, Camarines got strong in blitz anew as Paragua and Asuela repeated over Penang’s one-two punch as Ruaya and NM Ronald Llavanes scored in the lower boards for the Eagles’ five-two finish.
But Penang retaliated again in the rapid match as Capel forced Paragua to a draw and Wong, who slid on board two, pummeled Asuela that paved the way to a 13-8 romp off.
Penang’s domination from Boards two to five spelled the difference as the Malaysians survived a real test of might from the former World Cup campaigner Paragua and the Soaring Eagles who barely made it to the semifinals.
San Juan will face Caloocan for the North division title and Penang, Malaysia clashing with Iloilo for the South division crown on Wednesday starting at 7:30 pm via Chess.com online format.
