ALL four teams from Mindanao have managed to qualify with the Cagayan de Oro Higalas as the last one to advance to the quarterfinals after defeating the Palawan Queen's Gambit, 14.5-6.5 in their play-in knockout duel on March 26.
Now, they’ll try to achieve something big when the thrilling playoffs of the Professional Chess Association of the Philippines All-Filipino Conference get underway tonight at 7 pm via lichess.com online platform.
“What has been interesting is that mora’g gibuligan sa panahon nga dili mag-unay ang upat ka Mindanao teams sa quarterfinal matches,” CMOCA Higalas’ regular board player Jaime Joshua Frias II told Gold Star Daily.
The CMOCA Higalas (14-20) face the south’s top-seed Iloilo Kisela Knights (30-4), the Surigao Fianchetto Checkmates (21-13) battle the No.4 seed Negros Kingsmen (22-12) as the third-running Zamboanga Sultans (25-9) square off with the dangerous Toledo Trojans (20-14) and the second-best Davao Chess Eagles (27-7) take on the Camarines Soaring Eagles (20-14).
The Davao Chess Eagles and Zambo Sultans are both favored to prevail with their higher rankings.
And though Surigao and Cagayan de Oro are the playoff underdogs, anything ‘surprising’ is possible in their respective upset bids.
The Checkmaters stunned the Kingsmen twice in PCAP’s double elimination rounds and are hoping to sustain the momentum. The Higalas, on the other hand, are way beyond the Ilonggos’ winning percentage, but they scored a win against the Surigao Checkmaters who, in return, had also upstaged twice the Grandmaster Joey Antonio-led Iloilo in their previous encounters.
“Anything is possible. So, it's gonna be a thrilling moment in all four quarter matches tonight in the south,” said Surigao team owner Arena Grandmaster Rey Urbiztondo, who is also counting on the renewed confidence of their top board player Lennon Hart Salgados.
The Air Force man Salgados powered the Surigao Fianchetto in winning the cash-rich Cagayan de Oro Inter-Team ‘Tatluhan’ Chess Tournament concluded on Sunday at the Atrium of Limketkai Mall in Cagayan de Oro City.
Over in the north, tournament favorites the Pasig King Pirates (33-1) face the challenge of the Rizal Batch of Towers (14-20) while the Caloocan LoadManna Knights (22-12) test the mettle of the Cagayan Kings (17-17).
The defending champions Laguna Heroes (26-8) tangle with the Manila Indios Bravos (16-18) as the San Juan Predators (29-5) take on the Isabela Knights of Alexander (15-19).
The winners in tonight’s matches advance to the semifinals on Saturday, April 2.
