North powerhouse teams advance to PCAP semis

MANILA, Philippines — If the quarterfinals of the Professional Chess Association of the Philippines-San Miguel Corporation-Ayala Land Premier Cup was marked by upsets, over in the North, the favorites advanced to the semifinals.

Top-ranked Pasig King Pirates made short work of the Rizal Batch Towers, winning 16-5 and 17.5-3.5, in their two set win.

The second-seeded San Juan Predators likewise dispatched the Isabela Knight Raiders with relative ease, 15.5-5.5 and 18-3, in their two-set win.

First conference champions the Laguna Heroes were on their guard against an upset-minded Davao Chess Wizards, also vanquishing them in two sets, 16-5 and 14.5-6.5.

It was the only match between fourth-ranked Caloocan LoadManna Knights and fifth seed Manila Indios Bravos that had to go through the wringer.

The Indios Bravos took the first set with a 3-0 win in Armageddon as their trio of IMs Ronald Dableo, John Marvin Miciano and Cris Ramayrat blanked their Caloocan counterparts Paulo Bersamina, Jem Garcia and Nelson Villanueva.

In the second set, with GM Ino Sadorra suiting up for the first time all conference long, Manila was unable to get crucial points from the US-based chess wizard as Bersamina took the crucial points in Board 1 action.

Manila’s IM Chito Garma was also turned back by Caloocan’s Barlo Nadera to take a 13-8 win to set up Armageddon.

In the shootout, Bersamina and Garcia took Board 2 and 3 from Miciano and Sadorra, 2-1 to send Caloocan to the Final Four.

GM Sadorra was actually in a winning position but ran out of time.

Caloocan’s WNM Arvie Lozano swept both blitz and rapid chess in the second match while Nadera and FM Nelson Villanueva won their second set rapid games when they needed it most.

IM Domingo Ramos held the Best Player of the Wesley So Cup, IM Cris Ramayrat, to a draw in all their matches to give Caloocan the huge win.

The semifinals for both the North and South divisions will be held this Saturday.