WHILE Davao and Zamboanga are in a roll, the other teams from Mindanao ― Surigao and Cagayan de Oro ― are in a slump on Saturday’s inter-division matches of the 2022 Professional Chess Association of the Philippines All-Filipino conference.
Playing without its reliable top board player Lennon Hart Salgados, the Surigao Fianchetto Checkmates yielded to the Laguna Heroes, 9-12, and Isabela Knight Raiders, 8.5-12.5.
The Checkmaters earlier surprised the Grandmaster Rogelio Barcenilla-led Laguna in blitz, 4-3 on victories of Mariel Romero, NM Cyril Ortega, FM Vince Alaan, and AGM Rey Urbiztondo. But GM Barcenilla and company came out superior in the points-rich rapid, 12-9 with only Urbiztondo and Aubrey Gallardo securing wins and FM Alaan salvaging a draw for Surigao's heart-breaking loss.
The Surigao chessers were also up against Isabela in blitz, 4.5-2.5 when they faltered again in the rapid play, 4-10 with only Mariel Romero as the consistent scorer alongside FM Alaan in the national online chess tourney.
“I think our top board scorer (Lennon Hart) could not play again on Wednesday due to his work, and FM Alaan is bound for hometown Surigao from Manila which is a big headache for us knowing nga problema pa kaayo ang internet connection sa Surigao,” Urbiztondo told Gold Star Daily.
The Cagayan de Oro Higalas, meanwhile, suffered twin setbacks at the hands of league-leading Pasig, 6-15, and Olongapo, 9-12 to skid at joint seventh place with Camarines at 6-11 win-loss slate behind the frontrunning Iloilo (16-1), Davao (13-4), Negros (11-6) and Toledo, Zamboanga and Surigao, all sharing fourth-place at 10-7 in the south.
“I don’t care basta scoring machine ko sa akong board. Kung maningkamot tanan, naa pa chance sa playoff kay top-8 ang madala sa Southern division,” cautioned Jaime Joshua Frias II.
International Master Richelieu ‘Jongjong’ Salcedo III, the pride of Inobulan, Salay, Misamis Oriental who played board one for Rizal, could not also carry his team to the north’s upper half standing with another loss to Davao, 13-8 after a win over Cebu, 12.5-8.5.
Rizal is ninth with 6-12 card in the 12-team North division where two of the previous three PCAP team champions came from.
“Pero tan-awa lang akong stat sa board one,” dared the newly-wed Salcedo, proudly showing his unbeaten mark on Saturday, including his complete domination of the Davao team's Fide Master Sander Severino.
Salcedo won both in blitz and rapid plays against Severino, who became the first Filipino world chess champion when he won the International Physically Disabled Chess Association World Online Chess Rapid Championship in 2020.
