WITH solid home-ground talents on its roster, the newly-created Cagayan de Oro team is expected to pose a serious threat in the opening conference of the 2022 Professional Chess Association of the Philippines.
“This is a fighting chess team. Kusog ang lineup sa atong locals especially sa lower boards. We will give them (rivals) a problem,” warned Jaime Joshua Frias II, who made it to the top 10 in the recent Mactan National Open Chess Championship.
The new squad, Cagayan de Oro made use of all eleven rounds to complete from first to last ― National Masters Anthony Makanino and Levi Mercado, lady player Mary Joy Tan, Johnnel Balquin, Jaime Frias, Nazario Ubanan, Romeo Canino, Ronald Canino, Mario Arroyo, Domingo Uga and Eizel Jane Gicolo ― its cast in the 2022 PCAP Annual Draft.
The other new team, Davao, also exhausted all the rounds to bring in International Master Sander Severino, Fide Master Roel Abelgas, NMs Jonathan Tan, Alexander Lupian, Henry Lopez, Aglipay Oberio and James Infiesto as well as Arnel Aton, Mary Palero, and Aladino Diez to its equally-formidable pro-local lineup.
The Surigao Fianchetto Checkmates, Mindanao’s lone representative in the 2021 year-ending conference, meanwhile drafted the youthful John Ranel Morazo, Mariel Romero, Antonio Chavez Jr, and Alfredo Rapanot in the fourth round to replace some of their old reliables.
They also elevated last conference’s top gunner Lennon Hart Salgados from the Air Force to man the top-board position.
“I believe this team is a better one with the core made up of former UAAP stalwarts from the FEU Tamaraws,” said newly-minted Honorary National Master Rey Urbiztondo, team-playing owner of the Surigao Checkmaters.
The returning Zamboanga Sultans, that missed out on the 2021 third conference, selected NM Dale Bernardo in the first round then added NM Raymond Salcedo and FM Belsar Valencia in the second and third rounds, respectively.
A total of 187 players, bannered by reigning IPCA online world rapid champion FM Sander Severino and veteran campaigner FM Adrian Pacis, have applied for the 2022 draft in the country’s first and only professional chess league.
Severino, who made history by ruling the IPCA championship in 2020, saw action for guest team Philippine Paralympics in the PCAP Third Conference.
The other notable players in the list of applicants to the PCAP Draft are International Master Richielieu Salcedo III, Carlo Magno Rosaupan, Joel Anthony Hicap, Rolly Parondo Jr., Harrison Maamo, Jerry Areque, Alexander Lupian, Roberto Suelo Jr., Jayson Salubre, Raymond Salcedo, and female standouts Shercila Cua, Ludivina Nadera, Zsuzsa Grace Tabudlong, Maril Romero, Kimberly Abogado, and Elvie Maniquit.
