DEFENDING champion San Juan battles Quezon City, while two-time winner Pasig meets Mandaluyong in a pair of blockbuster encounters at the start of the 2023 PCAP All-Filipino Conference.

The Predators, who are also hoping to win their third title in seven conferences, will test the mettele of the Simba’s Tribe in the featured Northern Division showdown.

The Pirates, who are gunning for an unprecedented third straight title, face an acid test against the Tigers .

Both the Predators and the Pirates, who ruled the last four conferences, are expected to meet new challenges in this prestigious, 20-team competition organized by the Professional Chess Association of the Philippines (PCAP), headed by President-Commissioner Atty. Paul Elauria and Chairman Michael Angelo Chua, and sponsored by San Miguel Corporation, Ayala Land and PCWorx.

The Hubert Estrella-mentored Predators have lost United States-based GM Oliver Barbosa but added former World Youth chess campaigner Karl Victor Ochoa and national team member Catherine Pereña-Secopito.

Ochoa and Secopito join an already star-studded team led by IMs Paulo Bersamina, Jan Emmanuel Garcia and Ricardo de Guzman and former national women’s champion WIM Jan Jodilyn Fronda.

The Pirates of Pasig Mayor Vico Sotto and coach Franco Camillo made only minor changes to their team which topped the last two conferences.

Pasig is also one of few teams which did not participate in the recent draft.

Laguna, which made history by becoming the first-ever champion in the country’s first-ever play-for-pay league during its first conference in 2021,will play the Rizal Towers

The Dr. Fred Paez-owned Heroes boosted their line-up with the acquisition of IM Daniel Quizon, IM Michael Concio Jr., WNM Jerlyn Mae San Diego, FM Dino Ballecer and NM Nicomedes Alisangco in the annual draft.

In other first-round matches in the Northern Division it will be Manila Indios Bravos against the Cavite Spartans and Cagayan Kings against Isabela Knights of Alexander.

Over at the Southern Division, PCAP Third Conference runner-up Negros Kingsmen will kick off their campaign against the Cebu Machers.

The Kingsmen ruled the Southern Division last conference, but lost to the Pirates in the overall chsmpionship.

Former champion Iloilo Kisela Knights will meet Mindoro Tamaraws, Davao Eagles will tackle Zamboanga Sultans, Toledo City Trojans will play Tacloban Vikings and Surigao Fianchetto Checkmates will face Camarines-Iriga Eagles.

Round 1 pairings:

North — Pasig vs. Mandaluyong, San Juan vs. Quezon City, Laguna vs. Rizal, Manila vs. Cavite, Cagayan vs. Isabela.
South — Davao vs. Zamboanga, Iloilo vs. Mindoro, Negros vs. Cebu, Toledo vs. Tacloban, Surigao vs. Camarines-Iriga.