Iranian GM to reinforce Toledo Trojans in PCAP’s Wesley So Cup

CEBU, Philippines — Iranian Grandmaster Amir Bagheri will beef up Toledo City Trojans’ lineup in the Wesley So Cup, the reinforced conference of the Professional Chess Association of the Philippines (PCAP) online tournament set to kick off on Saturday, May 15.

The 42-year-old Bagheri is the only second Iranian to earn a GM status in chess.

Bagheri qualified for the FIDE World Chess Championship at the Caesars Palace in La Vegas back in 1999 but was not able to join due to visa problems. The finally made it next year but was booted out in the first round.

In all, Bagheri played for Iran national in the Chess Olympiads three times in 1998, 2000 and 2008.

Trojans’ co-team owner Atty. Jeah Jean Gacang is highly confident that Bagheri will give them the needed boost as they seek to improve their performance in PCAP’s All-Filipino Conference that ended in April after two months of action.

Skippered by Bonn Rainauld Tibod, the Trojans placed fifth in the Southern Conference and made the playoffs in the inaugural conference of the league’s first ever pro chess league.

“All of us from Toledo Trojans believe that GM Amir Bagheri would help strengthen our team, both morally and psychologically. Of course, he is the first grandmaster in the team. With him and International Master Rico Mascariñas on board, we believe great things will come,” Gacang said.

“What made him one of us is the fact that he shares the same virtue that the team currently possess, passion and dedication for the game of chess and for the team,” she added.

Aside from Gacang, Tibod and IM Mascariñas, Bagheri will also be seeing action alongside team manager FA Felix Poloyapoy Jr.,  National Masters Rommel Ganzon and Rogelio Enriquez, Jr., Ronald Ganzon, Richard Natividad, Glicerio Pardillo Jr., Christopher Tubalado, and Jinky Catulay under the banner of Trojans in the upcoming Wesley Cup that offers over P300,000 in prize fund.

The champion team will take home P150,000 while the second to fourth placers will pocket P75,000, P40,000 and P20,000, respectively. In addition, the Best Import, Player of the Conference, and Finals Most Valuable Player will receive P10,000 each. — EBV