SLOW-starting Surigao Fianchetto Checkmates scored a twin-bill kill on Wednesday night to move into the upper half-standing of the 2022 PCAP Wesley So Cup (Second Conference) first elimination round.
The Checkmaters upset the best team from Mindanao, the Davao Chess Eagles by just the skin of the teeth, 11-10 before overpowering the Zamboanga Sultans, 12-9 to improve to a 5-2 win-loss slate in the Southern division of the Professional Chess Association of the Philippines’ import-laced conference.
The arrival of former Philippine Open champion Grandmaster Darwin Laylo to Davao’s fold was a cause of worry for the Surigao team.
And it matters when Laylo, after yielding to Singaporean GM Tin Jingyao in blitz, exacted revenge in rapid play against the same opponent to bring excitement to the Durian City of the South, especially after Fide Master Sander Severino had completely dominated Lennon Hart Salgados, who used to give him some headaches in their previous battles on board 2.
Victories, however, by lady enforcer Mariel Romero, NM Cyril Ortega, Antonio Chavez Jr, and FM Vince Alaan to take the blitz portion, 5-2 was enough for Surigao to cushion the impact of Davao’s 8-6 finish in rapid fueled by NMs Jonathan Tan and Henry Roger Lopez.
Against Zamboanga, Salgados redeemed himself by outplaying AGM Rey Reyes as Jingyao, Romero, and Ortega sustained their winning ways in both the blitz and rapid contests.
“Our team now is in high spirit because we struggled against Davao and Zamboanga during the All-Filipino Conference. We need to keep better every game,” Surigao’s team-playing owner AGM Rey Urbiztondo told Gold Star Daily.
The Cagayan de Oro Higalas, on the other hand, were in quandary after starting the invitational conference with only one win against four losses in their listless first five outings.
