7 teams battle to stay in PCAP playoff contention

MANILA, Philippines – With two playdates and four matches left in the elimination round of the Professional Chess Association-San Miguel Corporation-Ayala Land Premier Cup, teams will be jockeying for playoff position or simply, a last seat on that bus.

On Wednesday, teams will fight for the right to advance to the knockout out rounds or to just finish on a winning note if not in play-off contention.

The Davao Chess Wizards can control their playoff destiny provided they win three of their four remaining outings. They’ll be up against the Bangkok Double Bishop, which have fallen off the top eight of the northern division in recent weeks. 

The Double Bishop are hanging on a thread. Should they best Davao, they have to contend with San Juan in the nightcap and Laguna and Lapu-Lapu in Saturday’s matches. It’s a murderous route to the playoffs if they want to make it.

Davao plays Pampanga then San Juan and Surigao in the final elimination round date.

For their part, the Rizal Batch Towers have only made headlines this PCAP for drafting GM Eugene Torre, who never even played a single match. For all their internal concerns, they are head above water at the eighth and last play-off spot albeit with a losing record at 7-12; and one game ahead of Bangkok.

Rizal will have to contend with Pasig and Manila.

Pampanga likewise has a chance but the margin for error is so small. Suffice to say, they need to go 4-4 in their last assignments.

In this Wednesday double-header, the Pampanga Checkers take on playoff-bound Isabela, Davao.

Then on Saturday, November 13, they battle skidding but no less dangerous Caloocan and the Palawan-Albay Queen’s Gambit, which are already out of the running with a poor 3-16 record.

Over in the south, Surigao too will need not only a miracle, but monumental collapses by Toledo and Camarines if they want to sneak into the play-offs.

Toledo is at 9-10 and have taken huge losses that have dropped them into the bottom tier of the top eight. 

Defanged Camarines is at 8-11 while Surigao is hoping for a late rally to make it. To put it simply, Surigao needs to win all four of their final games while hoping Toledo and Camarines trip up at the same time. 

Unfortunately for Surigao, they will be put to the test immediately this Wednesday evening against Toledo in perhaps both teams’ biggest match of the conference. A win by Toledo places them beyond reach from Surigao.

In another must win-match, Surigao takes on Camarines in the nightcap meaning their playoff fate will be known before the clock strikes 12 midnight.

Should they win one or both, they will match-up with Mindoro and Davao on Saturday. 

Camarines will be living dangerously this Wednesday and Saturday as they battle Lapu-Lapu and Surigao this November 10, and Palawan-Albay and Laguna on November 13.  

Toledo battles Surigao and Palawan-Albay this Wednesday and Sunrays and San Juan this Saturday.

The matches of the Professional Chess Association of the Philippines can be watched live on stream at the PCAP Facebook page as well as the respective team pages.