On March 12, the Checkmates beat Iloilo 11.5 to 9.5 on the same day the team also beat another Southern division powerhouse Negros 12-9.
The twin victories improved the record of the team to 17-12 and a bigger chance of making it to the PCAP playoffs.
Playing Team owner Arena Grandmaster Rey Urbiztondo is very happy with their wins.
"We are in rank 5-6 th in the South along with Toledo City Trojans and hoping to maintain the rank going to the last 5 rounds of the eliminations . The automatic seeding to the quaterfinals is only up to 6th place to avoid the “play in” for the 7th to 10th placers," Urbiztondo said.
"Lucky for us that we repeat our upset wins to the top teams in the South. Iloilo ,with 26 wins and 3 losses, were beaten only by two teams. The top team of the league, Pasig and our two wins. We also repeat our lucky win versus Negros," Urbiztondo added.
Earlier, the Checkmates was given the Team Sportsmanship Award by the Professional Chess Association of the Philippines (PCAP) for its tournament last year.
The team got the award for being cool and fair in all its matches last year.
Urbiztondo told NewsFort that his team this year is composed of the core group of UAAP grand slam champions of FEU Tamaraws.
Aside from the Tamaraw players who mostly hail from Cagayan de Oro City, the team will also have former Lady Board one player of Adamson University alongside former Adamson University standouts FM Vince and Tyrone Alaan.
The FEU standout players are Lennon Hart Salgados, Alfred Rapanot and Antonio Chavez, John Marel Morazo of Tarlac City is also part of the team, Marnel Batulan-Romero, former Adamson’s top board, Aubrey De Guzman-Gallardo, former top board of UP Diliman team, Fr. Vic Arellano, former Liceo de Cagayan champion, Engr. Joselito Serna, of Surigao City,Fide Master Vince Alaan, 1986 Asian Under 16 Champion, Antonio Chavez, Tyrone Alaan, Cyrus Donasco, Tandag and Rogelio Canoy of Surigao City.
Urbiztondo is confident his team will perform well this year against the other top team in PCAP which is already in its second year.
Recently, the National Chess Federation of the Philippines (NCFP) bestowed an honorary National Master title to Urbiztondo for promoting chess actively in Mindanao.
This award is in recognition of an individual whose advocacy is to promote chess in their respective regions by their active involvement in supporting several chess programs and activities through sponsorship and donation which somehow help the aspiration of Filipino players, especially the youth. Likewise, in general, the whole Philippine Chess Community," NCFP said on its official Facebook page.
Urbiztondo is happy and proud to be given the honorary NM ranking.
As the owner of the Checkmates, Urbiztondo is giving a form of livelihood to some chess players in Mindanao in the PCAP tournaments.
Aside from Urbiztondo, the team is managed by Engr. Dodjie Morales and sponsored by Congressman Robert Ace Barbers.
PCAP is the first professional chess league in the Philippines wherein the players are provided with salary and incentives from the team they are playing just like in other professional sports like the PBA.
Urbiztondo is also busy organizing chess tournaments to allow Mindanao players to participate and earn if they win. (Romeo Braceros Jr.)
Photo: Rey C. Urbiztondo FB account