Cavite stuns Laguna in Wesley So Cup opener

MANILA, Philippines – The Cavite Spartans opened their 2022 PCAP Wesley So Cup account with a stunning 13-8 upset of the Laguna Heroes in PCAP’s northern division play.

Cavite got a huge boost on Board 1 where American import NM Darian Nguyen claimed all three points from Laguna’s FM AJ Literatus, who slid up in the absence of GM Banjo Barcenilla.

Cavite grabbed a 5-2 win in blitz with points coming from Nguyen, CM Jayson Visca, AFM Eduardo Tunguia, AGM Voltaire Paraguya, Renie Malupa and AFM Lloyd Rubio.

The Heroes came alive in rapid chess, but Cavite piped them, 8-6, for an overall win of 13-8.

The Spartans’ Nguyen, Visca and Tunguia collected all three points available to them.

Karen Jeane Enriquez and AFM Kimuel Aaron Lorenzo were the bright spots for Laguna. 

Over at the south, the newly merged Camarines-Iriga squad stunned the Toledo Trojans, 13-8. 

Camarines-Iriga took blitz play, 5-2, and had to hang tough as the Trojans tried to rally in rapid chess. But the former held fast, 8-6 for the win. 

Virgen Gil Ruaya, Collier Graspela and Walt Allen Talan led the way for Camarines-Iriga.

IM Rico Mascariñas and Merben Roque led Toledo in scoring. 

Cavite battles the reinforced Caloocan LoadManna Knights this Wednesday, May 25 while Camarines-Albay faces off with Pagadian.