By Leobert Julian A. de la Peña
Unstoppable, still undefeated!
The Iloilo Kisela Knights are still the best Southern team in the ongoing 2022 Professional Chess Association of the Philippines (PCAP) Wesley So Cup and pushed their winning streak to 15 after another sweeping game day.
Iloilo survived a tightly-contested match against Cavite, 11.5-9.5, and decimated Mindoro in the second game, 16.5-4.5.
Since sweeping Pasig and Olongapo during the first round-robin of the tournament and a perfect 11-0 finish during the elimination phase, the Kisela Knights are yet to drop a single game.
It was an action-packed series against Cavite as the Kisela Knights survived a scare when the Northern squad managed to deadlock the game in the blitz category at 3.5-all.
The Kisela Knights still couldn’t pull away even at the start of the rapid category after Cavite answered back with two board wins to even the score again at 7.5-all.
It was in the last three playing boards when Iloilo finally got the lead courtesy of a win from NM John Michael Silvederio and ties from NM Rolly Parondo Jr. and NM Fritz Bryan Porras.
After taking a short breather, the Kisela Knights went back to action and proved to be too much against Mindoro.
Iloilo dominated from the get-go and crushed Mindoro in the first seven playing boards to build early momentum heading into the rapid category.
The Kisela Knights continued their demolition exhibition in the last seven playing boards and limited Mindoro to just three points to seal the deal and earn their 15th straight PCAP win.
Karl Viktor Ochoa, WFM Cherry Ann Mejia, GM Rogelio Antonio Jr., and NM Cesar Mariano led the Kisela Knights’ attack against Mindoro.
