Toledo Trojans split matches in PCAP All-Filipino Conference
| CDN Digital file photo
CEBU CITY, Philippines — The Toledo Xignex Trojans saw their unbeaten run come to an end Saturday night after falling to the San Juan Predators in their first inter-division matchup in the Professional Chess Association of the Philippines (PCAP) All-Filipino Conference.
The Trojans suffered a narrow 9.5-11.5 defeat against the Predators in the first of their back-to-back matches, snapping their flawless streak and dropping their record to 8-1 (win-loss) with a total of 155 points.
Despite the setback, Toledo remains at the top of the Southern Division standings, thanks to a dominant 16.5-4.5 win over the Rizal Batch Towers later that evening.
READ: PCAP: Toledo Trojans eye to stretch unbeaten streak vs. Bamboo Knights
In their loss to San Juan, the Trojans’ top board player, FIDE Master (FM) Ellan Asuela, drew first blood by winning the blitz match against Grandmaster (GM) Rogelio Barcenilla, but couldn’t maintain the momentum and lost in the rapid round.
Board 2 standout GM Mark Paragua had a solid outing, defeating Karl Victor Ochoa in blitz before settling for a draw in their rapid match. Meanwhile, Women’s FIDE Master (WFM) Cherry Ann Mejia struggled against Jan Jodilyn Fronda, losing both the blitz and rapid games.
READ: Toledo Trojans shuts out Mindoro in PCAP All-Filipino Conference
TOLEDO TROJANS
Still, Diego Abraham Caparino gave the Toledo Trojans a boost on Board 7 with a win over Rolando Notel in their rapid encounter.
With the victory, San Juan remains the only undefeated team in the tournament, improving to 9-0.
The Trojans managed to snatch a dominant win against Rizal, showcasing their championship form by nearly sweeping the rapid round. GM Paragua led the way with back-to-back wins over Paul Louis Orozco.
WFM Mejia, International Master (IM) Rico Mascariñas, Virgen Gil Ruaya, IM Barlo Nadera, and Rhenzi Kyle Sevillano all secured victories in the rapid round against their respective opponents. The only blemish came from FM Asuela, who fell to Godfrey Villamor.
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