SCORING twin victories on Wednesday night, the Surigao Fianchetto Checkmates got ahead of Zamboanga and Cagayan de Oro, even as the Davao Chess Wizards remain as the best performing Mindanao team in 2022 All Filipino conference of the Professional Chess Association of the Philippines Southern Division.
As the Wizards also scored back-to-back wins to occupy the second spot (9-2) behind the pacesetting Iloilo (10-1), the Checkmaters trampled upon Palawan, 17-4 and Iriga, 13-8 to trail the third-running Negros Kingsmen (8-3) by just a won game difference.
Surigao and Zamboanga were actually tied at 7-4 but with the former enjoying better tiebreak results at 124.5 to 121 points.
Surigao’s top board players Lennon Hart Salgados and Alfred Rapanot both delivered unbeaten performances in the blitz and rapid plays alongside improving lady scorer Mariel Romero to lead the Checkmaters’ onslaught.
The Cagayan de Oro Higalas, however, took a different path after a strong start.
Just when the slumping Johnnel Balquin had started to heat up and lady reinforcement Lorebina Carrasco II immediately made her presence felt, the majority of their teammates apparently capitulated, resulting in the Higalas’ double setbacks at the hands of Cebu Niños, 12-9 and Camarines Soaring Eagles, 15.5-5.5.
“Nanginit na unta si Balquin, mi-iskor na sa top board,” said team consultant Fr Vic Arellano.
Trying to prove that he’s an asset, Balquin completely dominated Cebu’s National Master Elwin Retanal before he yielded to CamSur’s International Master Idelfonso Datu.
The CMOCA Higalas need to step up in the next half of the first round-robin phase opposite the much stronger North counterparts.
As PCAP newcomers, the Higalas are now relegated to 9th place in the 12-team South rivalry with a 4-7 win-loss record.
