MANILA, Philippines — The second round is set in the Open Conference of the Professional Chess Association of the Philippines (PCAP) Saturday, meaning inter-division chess is upon us.
And as a treat for chess fans, the heavy hitters of the north and south division face off right off the bat.
In a rematch of the Wesley So Cup Finals, undefeated Pasig King Pirates (10-0) will battle the Iloilo Kisela Knights (9-1).
The San Juan Predators, who are second in the north to Pasig and tote a 9-1 record will face off against the Negros Kingsmen who are third in the south with an 8-2 slate.
The resurgent Laguna Heroes (7-3) who have been bolstered by the return of Grandmaster John Paul Gomez tackle the southern leader Davao Chess Eagles (9-1) in the packed gameday.
Another big match that will be filled with fireworks pits the Manila Indios Bravos (7-3) against the Toledo Trojans (8-2).
The second round of the open Conference is a single round robin for inter-division play with the third round returning to intra-division action. The top eight teams at the end of the third round advance to the play-offs.
The matches of PCAP’s Open Conference can be viewed via streaming on the league’s Facebook page as well as the respective team social media pages.