THE Professional Chess Association of the Philippines (PCAP) welcomed the support of GM Wesley So for its import-flavored second conference next month.

PCAP Chairman Michael Angelo Chua said So’s decision to provide the cash prizes to the team champion and top individual performers will be very good for local chess.

To be known as the PCAP-GM Wesley So Cup, the reinforced tournament will kick off on May 15 with all 24 member-teams fielding one foreign player each.

“Wesley’s support is a welcome development for professional chess. Malaking tulong ito sa mga players natin,” said Chua during the “Usapang Sports on Air” by the Tabloids Organization in Philippine Sports (TOPS) via Zoom recently.

Chua said So’s camp reached out to PCAP and asked how they can help the Filipino players.

“The original plan is for GM Wesley to sponsor our third confence, which will see one or two foreign teams in the list. But Wesley wanted the cash prizes to go to the Filipino players, so we moved it to our second conference,” added Chua, who attended the weekly session along with PCAP Vice-Chairman Ariel Potot and GM Mark Paragua of PCAP All-Filipino Conference runner-up Camarines.

“As requested by Wesley, the cash prizes will go directly to the members of the winning team, and not the team owners. Although he already plays for the US, gusto pa din nya talagang makatulong sa kapwa nya Filipino players,” explained Chua during the weekly public service program sponsored by the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC), Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) and Games and Amusements Board (GAB).

As earlier announced by PCAP, the champion team will receive P150,000, the runner-up P75,000, the third placer P40,000, and the fourth placer P20,000.

Top individual performers – Best Import, Player of the Conference, and Finals Most Valuable Player – will get P10,000 each.

Chua, also the team owner of PCAp Northern Conference runner-up San Juan Predators, said several teams have already negotiated with their respective foreign players.

He said the deadline of hiring of foreign playerswho will serve as imports for the GM Wesley So Cup-Reinforced Confrence is May 6.

“I understad nmadami nang teams ang may naka-usap na foreign players para maging imports. But they are keeping it secret until the deadline of hiring imports,” Chua told editors and
reporters of TOPS.

Meanwhile, Chua and Potot announced the final composiion of the North and South teams in the PCAP All-Star Extravaganza scheduled on May 2.

GMs Darwin Laylo of the Pasig Pirates and Mark Paragua of Camarines Eagles will lead the cast in the one-day All-Star extravaganza.

Laylo and Paragua emerged as the top vote-getters.

The complete line-ups:

North
Top-rated players — GM Darwin Laylo (Pasig Pirates), GM Roland Salvador (Pasig), GM Eugene Torre (Rizal Towers), GM Rogelio Barcenila, Jr. (Laguna Heroes), GM Julio Catalino Sadorra (Manila Indios Bravos), Oliver Barbosa (San Juan Predators), Austin Jacob Literatus (Laguna), IM Paulo Bersamina (Caloocan Load Manna Knights), IM Rolando Nolte (Rizal) and IM Jan Emmanuel Garcia (Caloocan).
Female — Shercila Cua (Pasig ), Jan Jodilyn Fronda (San Juan), Michaela Concio (Quezon City Simba’s Tribe) and Karen Jean Enriquez (Laguna).
Senior — Rudy Ibanez (Pasig), Ricardo de Guzman (San Juan), Cris Ramayrat (Manila).
Homegrown — Cromwell Sabado (Pasig), Ferdinand Palermo (Pasig), John Paul Gomez (Laguna), Genghis Imperial (Manila), Deniel Causo (Manila) and Mari Joseph Turqueza (Manila).

South
Top-rated players — Mark Paragua (Camarines Eagles), Rogelio Antonio, Jr. (Iloilo Kisela Knights), Ellan Asuela (Camarines), Nelson Mariano III (Negros Kingsmen), Merben Roque (Cordova Dagami Warriors), Chito Garma (Zamboanga Sultans), Erwin Retanal (Cebu Machers), Randy Segarra (Negros), Catherine Perena-Secopito (Palawan Queen’s Gambits) and Vince Alaan (Surigao Fianchetto Checkmates).
Female — Cherry Ann Mejia (Iloil), Bernadette Galas (Cordov), Rowelyn Joy Acedo (Negros).
Senior — Carlo Lorena (Camarines), Mario Mangubat (Cordova), Rico Mascarinas (Toledo City Trojans).
Homegown — Ronald Llavanes (Camarines), Virgen Gil Ruaya (Camarines), Joel Pimentel (Negros), Zulfikar Sali (Zamboanga), Jason Badal (Negros), Ariel Potot (Cordova) and Mikee Charlene Suede (Palawan).