THE Surigao Fianchetto Checkmates peaked at the right time, slaying two of the north's top guns on Wednesday night’s inter-division hostilities of the 2022 Professional Chess Association of the Philippines’ Reinforced Conference dubbed as Wesley So Cup.
Grandmaster killer Lennon Hart Salgados of the Philippine Air Force and former Olympiad campaigner Fide Master Vince Alaan powered Surigao to a crushing victory over PCAP’s inaugural champion Laguna Heroes, 15-6 before surprising PCAP’s Open Conference ruler San Juan Knights, 12.5-8.5 to hike its team standing in the south at 11-4 win-loss slate.
“It’s a lucky day for us because winning two in a row against PCAP champions is not an easy job. I think we’re now in the top-3 among the best teams in the south alongside Iloilo and Davao,” Surigao team owner, Arena Grandmaster Rey Urbiztondo told Gold Star Daily.
Compensating for the loss of GM Enrico Sevillano in his board one tussle with GM Rogelio Barcenilla, the Cagayan de Oro native Salgados blanked FM Efren Bagamasbad in board 2 as Surigao took full control of its match-up with Laguna in blitz, 5-2 and rapid, 10-4 with Mariel Romero, National Master Cyril Ortega and Alaan also asserting their might.
Against San Juan, Salgados ― who earlier trounced Chinese GM Xu Yi of the Toledo City Trojans ― were at it again, besting Ukrainian GM Victor Moskalenko (now in Spain) in rapid after a draw in blitz as Alaan continued to his winning ways in board 5 against the much younger FM Narquinden Reyes.
This, as Sevillano recovered by completely dominating FM Nelson Mariano III accompanied by the win of Antonio Chavez Jr on the lower board that gave the Checkmaters a 9-5 breakthrough in rapid after a 3.5-3.5 standoff in blitz.
“Definitely, our players were improving with Lennon Hart having a 5.5 output on second board and the full-blooded Surigaonon Alaan dishing a perfect six of six on board 5. These huge victories will surely motivate our team,” added Urbiztondo.
The Checkmaters’ sister team, the Surigao Diamond Knights had just won the Season 3 championship of the Philippine Chess League billed as Mayor Sara Duterte Cup also played via an online platform.
