Delivering the killer moves on the board, Iloilo Kisela Knights sustained a menacing form after an undefeated record in the ongoing Professional Chess Association of the Philippines (PCAP).

The group, headed by GM Joey Antonio scored an upset victory against Zamboanga Sultans, 13.5-7.5. They also outplayed Lapu-lapu Naki Warriors, 16-5. With the recent feat, the team are cruising to a comfortable 5-0 win loss card. They will face neighbor province Negros Occidental in the next encounter.

The squad also ruled the game against Cebu City Machers, 19-2 before a16-5 domination against Toledo City Trojans.

Fiona Geeweneth Guirhem, Fritz Bryan Porras and Mark Mariano scored a point each in blitz while NM Giovanni Mejia and NM John Michael Silvederio doubled their scores for a total of five points.

In the rapid event, Antonio, Silvederio, Porras, Karl Viktor Ochoa, WFM Cherry Ann Mejia, NM Cesar Mariano, and Dennis Bernas contributed two points each for a 14-point scoreboard.

Against the Trojans, Antonio, Porras, Guirhem, Silvederio, and Cezar Mariano captured a point each as the Kisela Knights garnered a total of five points in the blitz event.

Ochoa, Antonio, Mejia, Bernas, and Porras came up with two points each while Silvederio added one as the Iloilo squad captured a total of 11 points in the rapid chess event.

For team owner, Leo Sotaridona, aside from the fact that IKK is superior in strength against both teams, the thorough preparations and team works appeared to be a determining factor on their overwhelming victory.

“Our strategic line-ups might have caught off-guard the opponents. We will continue to study the next opponents and come up with a plan to outsmart them for the coming match. Next match will be against Negros that are also undefeated. Then we will clash against Camarines. This is a must game to watch kay isa sa mga top performers sila nga team,” he added.

Against Lapu-Lapu, the results are as expected, according to Sotaridona.

“We even let our three alternates played on the first (blitz) round. Our team is simply more superior and the results show. Against Zambo, though my initial assessment favors us, we are more cautious not leaving things to chance. Our superiority and experience of our players proved to be a deciding factor, for example, one of the games appeared to be losing for us material-wise but the speed and presence of mind taking into account the time element in blitz game, saved a supposed losing game,” he added.

In preparing for the upcoming games against Negros and Camarines, the team is expecting an approached in two layers – short term and long term.

“Short term we need the win to continue the winning momentum that built from earlier games – that we need as we started the fundraising campaign. Long term, the need to win at this time may not be that crucial from a practical and psychological perspective. All I can tell you is that it is good to know and feels great that our team does not have that pressure to really win at this time and still be on track on its quest for championship match. Of course if the results favor us will be a treat,” shared Sotaridona who founded the team on Oct. 2020.IMT