IT will be All-Filipino champion Manila Load Manna Knights against Toledo Trojans in the final of the 2024 PCAP Wesley So Cup chess championship.

Manila defeated two-time champion San Juan Predators, 16-5 and 13.5-7.5, in the Northern Conference while Toledo humbled Camarines Eagles, 16.5-4.5 and 14.5-6.5, in the Southern Conference to arrange a keenly-awaited do-or-die encounter.

IM Yoseph Taher shocked GM Rogelio Barcenilla, Jr. 3-0; Shania Mae Mendoza outplayed Jan Jodilyn Fronda and Marie Antoinette San Diego, 3-0; David Elorta toppled IM Rolando Nolte, 2.5-.5; IM Jan Emmanuel Garcia whipped Narquinden Reyes and Narquingel Reyes, 3-0; and Paulo Bersamina crushed Narquingel Reyes and Narquinden Reyes, 3-0, to power Manila to victory in the first of their crucial two-match showdown.

Former World Youth campaigner Karl Victor Ochoa was the lone bright spot for San Juan as he upset GM Oliver Barbosa, 2.5-.5, on board one.

It was the same story in the second match with Barbosa edging Barcenilla, 2-1; Mendoza beating San Diego and Fronda, 3-0; Garcia blanking Nolte, 3-0; and Bersamina beating Narquinden and Narquingel Reyes, 2.5-.5.

GM Victor Moskalenko and Narquinden Reyes provided the only victories for San Juan against Manila as they won over IM Chito Garma and Elorta, respectively.

Over at the Southern Conference, Toledo leaned on GM Aleksey Sorokin, Kylen Mordido, GM Rogelio Antonio, Jr. and Joel Pimentel to roll back Camarines.

Sorokin drew with IM Ronld Dableo and won over GM Darwin Laylo, 2.5-.5, on board one; Mordido blanked Bernadette Galas, 3-0; Antonio crushed IM Barlo Nadera, 2.5-.5; and Pimentel humbled Coellier Graspela and Marco Balane, 3-0.

Sorokin, Ellan Asuela, Antonio, Kim Steven Yap and Pimentel were again the leading scorers in the second match as Toledo finished off Camarines.

Sorokin repeated over Laylo, 2-0; Asuela edged Steven Breckenridge, 2-1; Antonio beat Nadera, 2-1, and Yap demolished Ronald Llavanes, 3-0.

PCAP, the country’s first and only play-for-pay league, is headed by President-Commissioner Atty. Paul Elauria and Chairman Michael Angelo Chua.

The two-division, 16-team tournament is sponsored by San Miguel Corporation, Ayala Land and PCWorx and sanctioned by the Games and Amusements Board (GAB), headed by Chairman Atty. Francisco Rivera.

AUTHOR PROFILE

Ed Andaya