Iloilo beats back Davao in PCAP

MANILA, Philippines – The Davao Chess Eagles can only wait until the second round, and hopefully, beyond.

The Chess Eagles absorbed a 14.5-6.5 beating at the hands of their nemesis, the Iloilo Kisela Knights, during the second playdate of the Wesley So Cup.

While the Kisela Knights were prohibitive favorites, Davao was looking forward to seeing how it would fare with GM Darwin Laylo on its top board against Iloilo’s GM Hovhannes Gabuzyan.

Except Laylo was unable to play owing to a bad signal in Vietnam where he is at the moment, and Gabuzyan defeated FM Sander Severino in both blitz and rapid play. 

Davao held some hope as they stayed close in blitz play, going down, 4.5-2.5.

Come rapid chess, the most that any of the Chess Eagles could manage was a draw behind NM Alexander Lupian, AGM Rowelyn Joy Acedo, NM Jonathan Tan and NM Aglipay Oberio.

Iloilo kicked in the afterburners behind Gabuzyan, GM Joey Antonio and NM Rolly Parondo Jr., who each secured the two points in their respective boards to take a 10-4 advantage for the overall, 14.5-6.5 win.

The Kisela Knights made it a clean sweep for the evening as they made short work of the Zamboanga Sultans, 17-4, to stay atop the southern division of the Professional Chess Association of the Philippines’ Wesley So Cup with a 3-0 record.

In this Saturday’s matches, Iloilo battles the Negros Kingsmen while Davao takes on the Zamboanga Sultans.