by Marlon Bernardino
MANILA, Philippines—Defending Champion Laguna Heroes relied on the service of sub-import Ukrainian Grandmaster Kirill Shevchenko, 2-time Asian Junior Champion Grandmaster Rogelio “Banjo” Barcenilla Jr . (photo above) and Kimuel Aaron Lorenzo to beat Manila Indios Bravos, 11.5-9.5, in the 2021 Professional Chess Association of the Philippines (PCAP) dubbed as Grandmaster Wesley So Cup held at chess.com platform Saturday, June 26, 2021.
Shevchenko (photo above) outplayed International Master John Marvin Miciano twice — one in blitz and one in rapid — in their top board showdown to power the Heroes of Dr. Fred Paez to a thrilling victory over the Indios Bravos.
Barcenilla, on the other hand, blasted United States chess master Ryan Dungca,in both rapid and blitz, while Lorenzo swept International Master Ronald Dableo, also both in rapid and blitz.
Woman National Master Jean Karen Enriquez split the point with Woman Candidate Master Mira Mirano in blitz portion but prevailed in their rapid encounter.
The stellar performances of Shevchenko, Barcenilla, Lorenzo and Enriquez were enough for the Laguna Heroes, which drew Manila, 3.5-3.5, in blitz and won, 8-6, in rapid.
International Master Cris Ramayrat Jr., FIDE Master Deniel Causo and National Master Jerome Balico provided the wins for Manila.
Ramayrat beat FIDE Master Jose Efren Bagamasbad, 3-0, in the seniors, Causo defeated Grandmaster John Paul Gomez in blitz then routed Vince Angelo Medina in rapid play while Balico beat Medina in blitz then followed with a win over Gomez in the rapid game.
Laguna followed up its victory over Manila with a 14-7 win over Isabela Knight Raiders. Overall, Laguna moved up to solo fourth places with 20-5 win-loss record in the Northern division.
“It was tough playing against the strong Manila Indios Bravos. When we drew in the first match, we did not lose hope. We regrouped for the 2nd match and the team responded positively. I commend the determination of Grandmaster Kirill Shevchenko, 2-time Asian Junior Champion Grandmaster Rogelio “Banjo” Barcenilla Jr., Kimuel Aaron Lorenzo and Woman National Master Jean Karen Enriquez for scoring great victories in the rapid match”, said Arena Grandmaster Dr. Alfredo “Fred” Paez, one of the four co-team owners of the Laguna Heroes including Mr. David Nithyananthan of KALARO, Engr. Benjamin Dy of SDC Global Choice and Engr. Jonathan Mamaril of Oregon, USA.
Supported by Greatech Philippines, Inc., SDC Global Choice, Jolly Smile Dental Clinic, KALARO and Rotary Club of Nuvali, the defending champion Laguna Heroes will face Cagayan Kings and San Juan Predators on Wednesday, June 30, 2021.
Meanwhile, overshadowed by Laguna’s remarkable performance were Cavite Spartans, who upset Pasig City King Pirates, 11-10, to keep hope alive in the Northern Division with 9-16 record. However, in the following game, Cavite Spartans yielded to Manila Indios Bravos, 9.5-11.5.