FINALLY tasting its first win over a fellow Mindanao team, the Surigao Fianchetto Checkmates followed this up by scoring a twin upset victories against the south’s biggies in the 2022 Professional Chess Association of the Philippines All-Filipino Conference last Saturday.
Besting the Negros Kingsmen, 12-9 and the pacesetting Iloilo Kisela Knights, 11.5-9.5 eventually made the Surigao chessers the most dangerous underdog squad going into the last five elimination matches of PCAP’s Southern division rivalry.
“We cannot afford to let our chances slip away. We'll have to take good care of our remaining games in order to avoid the play-in knockout for the playoff berths,” Surigao team owner Arena Grandmaster Rey Urbiztondo told Gold Star Daily.
The Congressman Robert Barbers-backed Checkmaters earlier drubbed the Cagayan de Oro Higalas, 13-8 for their first-ever triumph against Mindanao-based adversary.
In the first stage of the elimination challenge, they lost all their Mindanao affairs to league debutant CMOCA Higalas, the returning Zamboanga Sultans, and last season’s guest squad Davao Eagles.
“We took pride in our back-to-back conquest of the Wesley So Cup ruler Iloilo nga kusog kaayo na team ang Pasig ra nakapildi sa ila in this conference’s inter-division. Our goal now is to remain in the top-six for an automatic seat in the play-off round,” Urbiztondo said.
Despite having no superstar in the lineup, Surigao ripped the stacked Negros Kingsmen, edging them in blitz, 4-3 with Lennon Hart Salgados defeating Fide Master Randy Segarra in board 2, National Master Cyril Ortega trouncing Fide Master Adrian Ros Pacis in board 4, and Rhenz Rheann Auza surprising Ted Ian Montoyo in board 7.
Mariel Batulan-Romero and Fide Master Vince Alaan split the points with Adelaide Joe Lim and Ellan Asuela on boards 3 and 5, respectively.
In return, Fide Master David Elorta outplayed John Ranel Morazo in board 1 for Negros’ only full point.
The Checkmaters nipped Negros in rapid play, 8-6 behind the heroics of Salgados, Batulan-Romero, Ortega, and Alaan.
Against the heavily-favored Iloilo, Salgados failed to dominate anew Karl Victor Ochoa, losing both in their rematch for the blitz and rapid games. But Alfred Rapanot, Batulan-Romero, Alaan, and Auza made up for the crucial defeat as they prevailed in the rapid contest that counts two points for every win.
This, as Ortega held the 13-time Philippine Open champion Grandmaster Rogelio Antonio Jr to a truce in board 4 to cushion the impact of Antonio Chavez Jr's loss in board 6 at the hands of NM Rolly Parondo Jr.
