EXCEPT for Tacloban Vikings’ near upset of defending champion Iloilo Kisela Knights, there were no surprises in the quarterfinal round of the PCAP-GM Wesley So Cup chess championships.

The top four teams in the Northern Division — Pasig Pirates, Caloocan Load Manna Knights, San Juan Predators and Laguna Heroes — made it safely to the semifinal round following impressive victories over their respective quarterfinal opponents in the tournament sponsored by San Miguel Corporation, Ayala Land and PCWorx.

The top-seeded Pasig Pirates bucked the absence of GM Mark Paragua to roll back play-in winner Rizal Towers, 19-2 and 17.5-3.5, and arrange a semifinal encounter against fourth-ranked Laguna Heroes, 13-8, and 11-10 victors over No. 5 seed Manila Indios Bravos.

The other semifinal will pit No. 2 seed Caloocan Load Manna Knights, who eliminated No. 7 Quezon City Simba’s Tribe, 14-7 and 15-6, and No. 3 San Juan Predators, who slammed the door on No. 6 Cagayan Kings, 12.5-8.5 and 12-9.

Southern Division frontrunner Iloilo Kisela Knights, however, had a major scare in the quarterfinals.

The GM Rogelio Antonio Jr.-led Kisela Knights, who won the championship over the Predators last year, needed a three-game Armageddon playoffs to beat the Tacloban Vikings, 3-0.

Iloilo appeared headed for another walk in the park as it crushed Tacloban, 20-1, in the first match.

But the Vikings, who went through the play-in and beat Palawan Queen’s Gambits, 11-10, to advance to the quarters, struck down the Kisela Knights, 13.5-7.5.

That forced the day’s only Armageddon encounter, which Iloilo eventually won.

Also advancing to the South semifinals are No. 2 Negros Kingsmen, who humbled No. 7 Camarines-Iriga Eagles, 17-4 and 15.5-5.5; No. 3 Davao Eagles, who ousted No. 6 Zamboanga Sultans, 15.5-6.5 and 13.5-7.5; and No. 4 Toledo Trojans, who downed No. 5 Surigao Fianchetto Checkmates, 13-8 and 11-10.

In the Final Four, Iloilo will play Toledo and Negros will battle Davao.

The semifinal winners will clash for the division championships before battling for the grand championship which stakes the coveted GM Wesley So Cup.

Several notable players who are now playing for the Philippine team in the 44th World Chess Olympiad in Chennai, India could miss the remainder of the tournament.

Among them are Paragua (Pasig), GM Rogelio Barcenilla Jr. (Laguna), IM Paolo Bersamina (Caloocan), GM Darwin Laylo (Davao) and WIM Jan Jodilyn Fronda (San Juan).

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

The event is sanctioned by the Games and Amusements Board (GAB), headed by Chairman Abraham “Baham” Mitra, and supported by the National Chess Federation of the Philppines (NCFP), led by Chairman Prospero “Butch” Pichay.

PCAP games, which are being played every Wednesday and Saturday, .can be viewed on the official PCAP Facebook page.