AFTER the success of the Professional Chess Association of the Philippines (PCAP) All-Filipino Conference and before the start of the Second Conference also known as the GM Wesley So Cup, there will be an All-Star Game on May 2.

To be known as the PCAP All-Star Game, the one-day extarvaganza will pit the top 14 players from the Northern Conference against the leading 14 players in the Southern Conference.

The North All Stars will be handled by Dr. Fred Paez of the newly-crowned PCAP All-Filipino champion Laguna Heroes, while the South All Stars will be manned by Jojo Buenaventura of runner-up Camarines Soaring Eagles

“It will be held before the start of the second conference — the Wesley So Cup — this May,” said PCAP Chairman Michael Angelo Chua of the San Juan Predators..

“We want to showcase the talent of PCAP and the players. It will give all the players another goal to shoot for,”Chua told People’s Tonight.

PCAP president-commissioner Atty. Paul Elauria said the first seven players of each team will be selected by fans through voting at the PCAP website and social media page on Fagebook.

Voting of players — three rated, one female, one senior and two homegrowns — will start this week.

After that, another seven players will be selected by players and owners.

“In all, there will be six rated players, two ladies, two seniors and four homegrowns on each team,” explained Atty. Elauria.

Format of the competition will be two sets of blitz and rapid games

Among the notable players expected to get a big chunk of the fans’ votes are GM Rogelio Barcenilla Jr. and GM John Paul Gomez of Laguna, GM Oliver Barbosa and IM Ricky de Guzman of San Juan Predators, GM Julio Sadorra and IM John Marvin Miciano of Manila Indios Bravos, GM Eugene Torre and IM Rolando Nolte of Rizal Towers, GM Darwin Laylo and GM Roland Salvador of Pasig Pirates, IM Paulo Bersamina and IM Jan Emmanuel Garcia of Caloocan Load Manna Knights, IM Oliver Dimakiling of Quezon City Simba’s Tribe in the North; and GM Mark Paragua and NM Carlo Lorena of Camarines, GM Rogelio Antonio, Jr and FM Karl Victor Ochoa of Iloilo Kisela Knights, FM Nelson Mariano III and IM Joel Pimentel of Negros Kingsmen, IM Chito Garma of Zamboanga Sultans, IM Rico Mascarinas of Toledo City Trojans and WFM Shania Mae Mendoza of Palawan Queen’s Gambits in the South.

Last April 3, the Barcenilla-led Laguna Heroes defeated the Camarines Soaring Eagles, 2-1, in their three-game Armageddon battle for supremacy in this prestigious competition sponsored by San Miguel Corporation.

Barcenilla, who is best remembered as a member of the star-studded Philippine team which finished seventh in the 1988 World Chess Olympiad in Thessaloniki, Greece, and Literatus delivered the much-needed victories over Christian Mark Daluz and Ellan Asuela to power the Heroes to victory.

Camarines’ lone victory came from Paragua, who outduelled fellow Olympiad veteran Gomez.

“It was really team effort,” said Barcenilla, who was pitted against Daluz on board three as part of the team strategy despite playing the top board in the earlier rounds..

The Heroes dominated the first of the two-set match, 14.5-6.5, but the Soaring Eagles battled back to eke out a tense 11.5-9.5 win that forced the three-game playoffs.