By Lynde Salgados
Correspondent

THE Surigao Fianchetto Checkmates, Mindanao’s lone official entry in the season-ending 3rd Conference of the Professional Chess Association of the Philippines (PCAP), virtually threw in the towel after another failed attempt to stage a comeback halfway of the second-round action.

“It’s now almost impossible for us to hurdle the second-round challenge and advance in the playoff stage. Our heavy losses were just too much to take,” said team-playing owner, Arena Grandmaster Rey Urbiztondo.

In their last outing on Wednesday, the Congressman Robert Barbers-backed Checkmaters suffered a twin setback at the hands of Lapu-lapu and Negros teams in a downward spiral that may dash the hope of either duplicating or surpassing their quarterfinals finish in the import-flavored 2nd Conference.

Urbiztondo had largely attributed their defeats to Lapu-lapu, 6.5-14.5, and Negros, 4.5-16.5 to poor internet signal in the Surigao area that led to the defaults of their local senior players, Tyrone Alaan and Rogelio Canoy, thus leaving them with only three wins to show against 14 debacles.

Surigao’s only consolation was the continued success of Air Force recruit Lennon Hart Salgados on board two.

After upstaging International Physically Disabled Chess Association (IPCA) world champion Fide Master Sander Severino of the Philippine Paralympic team, the former UAAP star Salgados bested former Philippine junior champion NM Elwin Retanal of Lapulapu then held FM Mari Joseph Turqueza of Negros to a draw to remain undefeated in the rapid plays.

Urbiztondo was also on fire in the rapid challenge.

After upending the Singaporean champion and eight-time Olympiad campaigner International Master Chan Peng Kong, over the weekend, the white-wielding Urbiztondo came back to outlast Cebuano FM Anthony Makinano with the same Trompovsky attack.

“We’ll still play on Saturday (November 6) and the rest of our remaining games. And we’ll just take them as pure enjoyment knowing that our chance is bleak. We’re still happy at the fact that we’re able to score an upset against world champion Severino and his Paralympic team that took the Southern division lead early of the PCAP’s second-round hostilities,” Urbiztondo said.