THE title-hungry San Juan Predators finally untangled the maze that is the Iloilo Kisela Knights.
With the reinforcement of grizzled International Master Rolando Nolte, the San Juan Predators swept the Iloilo Knights, 19-two, 11.5-9.6 in the two-leg finale to clinch the 3rd Conference title of the Professional Chess Association of the Philippines (PCAP) virtually held on Saturday night via chess.com platform.
So impressive was San Juan’s rare perfect seven-zero start in blitz contest, followed by a 12-two conquest in the first set’s rapid play with only Iloilo’s heart and soul Grandmaster Rogelio Antonio Jr escaping with a near shutout by outwitting Nolte with black in his bread and butter Carrokan defense.
“But Nolte seemed to be the missing piece San Juan needed to exorcise the ghost of its failed attempts in the last two conferences,” observed Arena Grandmaster Rey Urbiztondo.
Nolte may have only scored 1.5 points of a possible six in his head-on clash with Antonio on board one. But his presence allowed GM Oliver Barbosa to slide on board two to take good care of former child prodigy Karl Victor Ochoa en route to Barbosa’s MVP-worthy six of six performance.
“It’s very unfortunate that all our Iloilo-based players are playing in one place and they are experiencing internet/PLDT connection issues per our team managers. I am hopeful the connection will stabilize on time before the second set is over,” then said Iloilo team owner Leo Sotaridona in answering some queries from the media people who were greatly surprised by the opening leg massacre.
Things did not change in the second set of blitz matches as the Predators came up with another 5.5 to 1.5 triumph against their Wesley So Cup final match tormentor.
An intrepid fighter that he is, the winningest National Open champion Antonio did not crack under tremendous pressure as he buckled down to work to score his second-straight victory in a rapid tiff. And along with the wins of Woman International Master Cherry Ann Mejia and National Masters John Michael Silvederio and Fritz Bryan Porras, the Kisela Knights prevailed, eight-six, though the efforts were not just enough to force a tie-breaker.
The Predators’ total output of 11.5 points outweighed the Kisela Knights’ 9.5, thereby preventing a possible Armageddon playoff, and ending Iloilo’s quest for a back-to-back title romp off.
Completing San Juan’s winning cast are IM Ricardo De Guzman, Fide Master Narquingden Reyes, WIM Jan Jodilyn Fronda, Narciso Gumila, and Narquingel Reyes with team owner in PCAP chairman Michael Ong Chua.
In the battle for third place, the Caloocan LoadManna Knights overwhelmed the Penang Blue Panthers from Malaysia, 14.5-6.6.
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 taking the exit door early in the championship round.
“Our foreign friends were really impressed that they're looking forward to the next season,” Elauria said.
