MANILA – Iloilo Kisela Knights bounced back in the Professional Chess Association of the Philippines (PCAP) GM Wesley So Cup by scoring back-to-back wins on Saturday night.
Iloilo recorded their first victory when they crushed Quezon City Simba’s Tribe, 18-3, and followed it up with a 15.5-5.5 manhandling of Pasig City King Pirates to climb to a 10-8 win-loss record.
Facing the Simba’s Tribe, the Kisela Knights ruled the blitz game with wins by Hovhannes Gabuzyan (Board 1), Fiona Guirhem (Board 3), Cesar Mariano (Board 4), John Michael Silvederio (Board 5), Fritz Bryan Porras (Board 6), and Mark Mariano (Board 7).
Iloilo also ousted Quezon City in the rapid category on victories by Gabuzyan (Board 1), Karl Viktor Ochoa (Board 2), Guirhem (Board 3), Silvederio (Board 5), Porras (Board 6), and Dennis Bernas (Board 7).
The Kisela Knights continued their winning ways against King Pirates in blitz via triumphs by Gabuzyan (Board 1), Cesar Mariano (Board 4), Porras (Board 6), and Silvederio (Board 7), and a draw by Rogelio Antonio Jr. (Board 2).
In the rapid play, Iloilo also edged Pasig City following wins by Gabuzyan (Board 1), Cherry Ann Mejia (Board 3), Porras (Board 6), and Silvederio (Board 7), and draws by Antonio (Board 2), Cesar Mariano (Board 4) and Bernas (Board 5).
“It was huge victories by the Kisela Knights, most notably against Pasig,” said Kisela Knights team owner Leo Sotaridona. “We are very well on the right track to return to the playoffs round.”
Unlike Kisela Knights, the Negros Kingsmen were hit with a disaster as they dropped their two matches that pulled down their standings to 11-9 in the Southern Division.
The Kingsmen first suffered a 15.5-5.5 beating at the hands of Caloocan Loadmanna Knights and bowed down to Antipolo Cobras, 11-10, in their second game.
The squad opted to go all-Filipino on the two matches as the team management decided to rest reinforcement Steven Breckenridge, according to Kingsmen co-team owner Antonio Martin Olendo./PN
