Mindoro stuns Negros in Wesley So Cup

MANILA, Philippines – Last Saturday, June 18, pretty much most of the top-seeded squads in the Wesley So Cup of the Professional Chess Association of the Philippines won their inter-division matches.

The Caloocan LoadManna Knights, Pasig King Pirates, San Juan Predators, Iloilo Kisela Knights and Davao Chess Eagles took both their matches via routs.

The Negros Kingsmen sure looked like they were headed for their own twin kill after they blasted Olongapo, 16-5, in the first set of games for the evening.

Then they ran into the lowly Mindoro Tamaraws — the refugees from the south who were only moved into the Northern Division this 2022 season. 

Mindoro, after the first ever All-Filipino Cup where it made the playoffs with a 13-21 record, slowly slipped down the tables, going 9-25 in the first Wesley So Cup, 3-20 in the Reinforced Conference then in the All-Filipino Cup of the second season; 11th place in the north with a 7-27 slate. 

Although Negros took blitz play, 4-3, there was a sense the battle had been joined by the 3-12 Tamaraws, who got sterling play from their top boards manned by IM Nhat Minh To and FM Julius Joseph de Ramos, who claimed all three points available to them in both blitz and rapid chess. 

However, this time on rapid chess, their senior board player, Cesar Cunanan, and homegrown players Ronald Berdera and AGM Joselito Asi all chipped in huge points to pip Negros, 8-6.

That translated into an 11-10 upset win to give the Tamaraws their fourth win of the season and ended the evening on a good note.

In their first set of the evening’s double header, the Zamboanga Sultans crushed Mindoro, 13-8.

Mathematically, the Mindoro Tamaraws can still move up the northern standings with 17 matches including the intra-second round robin.

In their next assignments this Wednesday, June 22, Mindoro will battle Surigao Fianchetto Checkmates and the Toledo Trojans.