PCAP: Toledo Trojans eye to stretch unbeaten streak vs. Bamboo Knights

CEBU CITY, Philippines – The Toledo Xignex Trojans are on a roll, and they have no plans of slowing down. 

Riding a scorching eight-game winning streak, the Trojans will aim to keep their record immaculate in the ongoing Professional Chess Association of the Philippines (PCAP) All-Filipino Conference as they take on the TFCC LP Bamboo Knights on Saturday, April 5.

Unlike their usual grueling back-to-back weekday matches, the Trojans will have just one opponent this time—a fresh but struggling Bamboo Knights squad looking to make a statement against the league leaders.

READ: Cebu chess prodigy dominates CVIRAA, secures top Palaro spot

Toledo on top of PCAP southern division

Toledo has been an unstoppable force in the southern division, currently sitting atop the standings with an unblemished 8-0 (win-loss) record. Their dominance was on full display last Wednesday when they steamrolled the Mindoro Tamaraws with a 21-0 shutout and followed it up with a near-flawless 19.5-1.5 victory over the Zamboanga Sultans.

This will be the second time the Trojans face the Bamboo Knights, and if their first encounter is any indication, Toledo is poised for another commanding performance. 

In their previous matchup, the Trojans dismantled the Bamboo Knights, nearly sweeping them with a resounding 20-1 scoreline.

Leading the charge for Toledo is Grandmaster (GM) Mark Paragua, supported by a formidable lineup that includes FIDE Master (FM) Ellan Asuela, International Master (IM) Joel Banawa, and Women’s FIDE Master (WFM) Cherry Ann Mejia. With their top players in fine form, the Trojans remain the heavy favorites to extend their winning streak.

READ: Toledo Trojans shuts out Mindoro in PCAP All-Filipino Conference

Bamboo Knights aims for a win

On the other side, the Bamboo Knights are eager to break into the win column, banking on key players Manuel Carlo Balilla, Kylle Vincent Gamba, Princess Mae Saberon, David Diamitas, Lorenzo Matteo Ibe, and Jayferson Castillo. Against a red-hot Toledo squad, they face a daunting challenge but will be hungry to pull off a major upset.

Meanwhile, chess fans can also look forward to another thrilling southern division clash as the No. 3 Iriga Oragons (5-2) try to shake up the standings when they battle the No. 2 Bacolod Blitzers (6-1) in a pivotal matchup.

In another crucial pairing, the No. 6 Iloilo Kisela Knights (2-5) will go head-to-head against the No. 5 Mindoro Tamaraws (2-5) in a bid to climb up the rankings.

With the stakes rising in the PCAP All-Filipino Conference, expect another action-packed day of strategic battles on the chessboard. The matches will kick off at 6 PM.