WAKE up the neighborhood and spread the word: there’s a new Professional Chess Association of the Philippines (PCAP) champion.

Manila Load Manna Knights finally ended three years of frustrations by winning the PCAP All-Filipino crown with a heart-stopping 11-10 and 14-7 triumphs over Toledo Trojans over the weekend.

Shania Mae Mendoza humbled Cherry Ann Mejia, 3-0, and Jan Emmanuel Garcia trounced Kim Steven Yap, 2-0, to lead Manila to victory by the closest of margins in the first of their two-set showdown in this prestigious competition sponsored by San Miguel Corporation, Ayala Land and PCWorx.

David Elorta, IM Paulo Bersamina, IM Chito Garma and Daryl Samantila carried the fight for the Load Manna Knights with decisive victories over the Trojans in the second set.

Elorta clobbered Samson Lim, 3-0; Bersamina.whipped Merben Roque and Diego Caparino, 3-0; Garma blanked IM Angelo Young, 3-0; and Samantila overpowered Yap, 2-0, to complete Manila’s day of triumph.

Mejia and Joel Pimentel carried the fight for the Trojans with 2-0 victories over Mendoza and Garcia, respectively, in the second set.

Camarrines Eagles shocked San Juan Predators, 12.5-8.5, in their one-game playoff to clinch third place.

Ellan Asuela outsteadied Karl Victor Ochoa, 2-0, and IM Barlo Nadera upstaged IM Ricardo de Guzman, 3-0, to lead Camarines to victory over San Juan.

The highly-anticipated board one battle between GM Darwin Laylo of Camarines and GM Rogelio Barcenilla, Jr. of San Juan ended in a fighting 1.5-1.5 draw.

WIM Jan Jodilyn Fronda nipped Bernadette Galas, 2-1, and Narquingel Reyes bested Ronald Llavanes and Coellier Graspela, 2.5-.5, for San Juan’s victory.

Actually, Manila and Toledo took different routes before advancing to the final round of the country’s first and only play-for-pay league sanctioned by the Games and Amusements Board (GAB) under Chairman Richard Clarin.

Manila. finished third with a 21-4 win-loss record behind San Juan Predators and three-time champion Pasig Pirates in the Northern Division.

The Load Manna Knights defeated Quezon City Simba’s Tribe, 15-6 and 16-5, in the quarterfinals, and Pasig Pirates, 13.5-6.5 and 14-7, in the semis to arrange a title showdown against San Juan Predators in the Northern Conference final.

Manila ended San Juan’s title hopes with a dramat8c 15-6 and 11-10 triumph in the finals.

Toledo, on the other hand, wound up in second place with a 17-8 slate in a tie with Davao Eagles behind Camarines Sur’s frontrunning 20-5 card.

The Trojans won Arriba Iriga, 21-0 and 21-0, in the quarterfinals and Davao Eagles, 14.5-6.5 and 14.5-6.5, in the semis to set up a Southern Conference title duel with Camarines Eagles.

The Trojans toppled Camarines Eagles, 10.5-10.5 and 8-13 and 2-1 in their three-game Armageddon playoffs.

PCAP is headed by Atty. Paul Elauria as President-Commissioner and Michael Angelo Chua as Chairman.