Cebu makes last ditch bid for Wesley So Cup play-in

MANILA, Philippines — Chess players have a term for this: “mahiwaga ang chess board.”

For the Cebu Machers, they hope that they can play not only some of the best chess of their lives Saturday night but also that Lady Luck is on their side.

In the penultimate day of the elimination round of the Wesley So Cup of the Professional Chess Association of the Philippines, much rides on their team’s results — as well as those of the team immediately above them. 

For the 6-25 Cebu Machers, they take on Tacloban — which they can win — and Iloilo in the final match of the evening’s double header. And in the final match on July 20, Davao.

Not an easy road. 

Consider Cagayan de Oro and their 7-23 record. 

They battle Davao and Zamboanga tonight and Negros on Wednesday next week. 

They run a Murderer’s Row of southern division powers. 

A win here or there or keeping the points total close with their opponents will allow them to avoid a quotient system tie-break. 

A win can give Cebu an opportunity for a tie-breaker against CDO which has a 263-231 advantage in won-points. 

Considering they are up against three of their division’s best squads, they could either compete or are in for a major butt kicking.

A pair of losses coupled with one win from CDO dashes their hopes for one last chance at a Cinderella story.

Follow the intense chess action and all the board room drama of the Wesley So Cup of PCAP live via streaming on the league’s Facebook page as well as the FB pages of Cebu and Tacloban.