Pasig is 2nd team to sweep inter-division play in PCAP

MANILA, Philippines – Following the Pasig King Pirates’ 17-4 win over Palawan-Albay Queen’s Gambit last March 2, the former became only the second team in the young history of the Professional Chess Association of the Philippines to complete a sweep of inter-division play in any of the three conferences. 

In every conference of PCAP, teams have a double round robin intra-division play with one round inter-division battles in between. That means, northern and southern division squads face off 12 times in the elimination round.

The first to accomplish that feat was the San Juan Predators who turned that trick in the Reinforced Conference of last season with Ukrainian import Viktor Moskalenko. 

The King Pirates have now accomplished that in the San Miguel-All Filipino-Cup with the 12 wins adding to their league-best 22-1 slate.

Of course, sweeping inter-division play or topping their division doesn’t automatically mean a team will win the coveted championship. 

In that aforementioned Reinforced Conference, San Juan fell to the Iloilo Kisela Knights.

Pasig signified their title aspirations with the addition of GM Mark Paragua from Camarines and IM Cris Ramayrat from Caloocan. While both have been huge for Pasig, lady player Sherily Cua and homegrown player Eric Labog Jr. have led the way as they are currently second and third in the Top 25 Players list.

Cua, who is second to Iloilo’s GM Joey Antonio in the rankings, has posted a 36-2-8 record for a total of 55.5 points. Labog Jr. owns a 35-3-6 record with 55 points.

Paragua is at sixth spot with a 29-11-6 line and 52.5 points.

Ramayrat is listed at 15th with a 27-10-9 record and 48.5 points. 

GM Darwin Laylo, the fifth Pasig player in the rankings is at 24th spot with a 22-18-6 record and 45.5 points. 

Pasig resumes its hunt for the top spot in the north when they battle Isabela and then Cagayan in the upcoming March 5 double header in PCAP’s San Miguel-All-Filipino Cup.

Other league sponsors include Ayala Land and PCWorx.