CEBU CITY, Philippines— With the playoffs getting closer, the Toledo City Trojans and the Lapu-Lapu City Naki Warriors eye crucial victories in the ongoing Professional Chess Association of the Philippines (PCAP) third conference on Wednesday, November 10, 2021.
There are four matches left before the much-awaited playoffs kicks off later this month.
Each of their matches are crucial for both Lapu-Lapu City and Toledo City who are ranked sixth and seventh in the southern division standings.
Only eight teams in both the northern and southern divisions are advancing to the playoff round.
Toledo City which has a 9-10 (win-loss) slate will face the bottom-ranked CCE Sunrays (1-17) in the first round and will get their hands full against northern division’s top-ranked San Juan Predators (18-1).
The Trojans will rely on their International Master (IM) Rico Mascariñas, National Master (NM) Rogelio Enriquez Jr., Richard Natividad, Rommel Ganzon, Ronald Ganzon, Bonn Rainauld Tibod, and playing team owner Jeah Jean Gacang in these two crucial matches.
Meanwhile, the Naki Warriors (11-8) will go up against foreign guest teams in Penang Blue Panthers (13-6) of Malaysia in the first round and the Bangkok Double Bishops (6-13).
The Blue Panthers are currently at fourth place in the southern division standings while Bangkok is at ninth in northern division.
The Naki Warriors will likely field in the same woodpushers for tomorrow’s online chess action.
They are; Women’s International Master (WIM) Bernadette Galas, FIDE Arbiter (FA) Lincoln Yap, NM Elwin Retanal, NM Michael Joseph Pagaran, Bryle Arellano, Ariel Joseph Abellana, and Allan Pason.