CEBU CITY, Philippines — After several heartbreaks in the previous conferences, the Toledo-Xignex Trojans finally avenged their losses against their tormentor, the Iloilo Kisela Knights, in last Saturday evening’s Professional Chess Association of the Philippines (PCAP) Third Season first conference.
It can be recalled that the Kisela Knights, who are also former PCAP champions, eliminated Toledo in last year’s semifinals in the southern division.
READ: Trojans split matches, drop to 3rd in PCAP chess standings
Trojans win
This time, the tables have turned completely with Toledo on the winning side. They defeated the Kisela Knights, 18.5-2.5, in one of their two scheduled matches on Saturday evening.
They won the blitz round, 4.5-2.5, and went on sweeping the entire rapid round matches, 14-0.
International Master (IM) Rico Mascariñas, Allan Pason, Bonn Rainauld Tibod, and Christopher Tubalado, all won their matches against National Master (NM) Cesar Mariano, NM Rolly Parondo Jr., NM Fritz Bryan Porras, and Lloyd Lanciola, respectively, in the blitz round.
Rapid Round
In the rapid round, IM Mascariñas, Pason, Tibod, and Tubalado defeated their same opponents, while NM Merben Roque, Richard Natividad, and Women’s IM Beverly Mendoza edged Horizon Villanueva, Huberto Canto, and Fiona Guirhem, respectively, to win all seven matches.
READ: Trojans hope to get back at Eagles
The victory improved the Trojans’ record to 17 wins with 8 losses to remain at third place in the southern division standings, while Iloilo dropped to fifth place with a 12-13 (win-loss) record.
Kingsmen beat Trojans
Despite the victory, the Trojans bowed to southern division’s top-ranked team, the Negros Island Region Kingsmen, 5.5-15.5, in their second meeting.
The Kingsmen won both the blitz and rapid rounds. They scored 5.5-1.5, in the blitz round and went on winning the rapid round, 10-4.
Natividad and Tubalado prevented a shutout defeat for the Trojans by upsetting FIDE Master (FM) Mari Joseph Turqueza and NM Rolzon Roullo, respectively.
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