ON the eve of the 450th anniversary of the founding of the province of Laguna (July 28, 1571), this historic province received its new heroes to stand alongside Jose and Paciano Rizal, Ambrosio Bautista (a co-author of the Declaration of Philippine Independence), World War II General Vicente Lim and celebrities like Ariella Arida, Jane de Leon and Rico Blanco to name but a few of its famous sons and daughters.
The Laguna Heroes, named so aptly for this team in the Professional Chess Association of the Philippines (PCAP), won the league’s first-ever championship by defeating the Camarines Soaring Eagles, 2-1, in Armageddon play in the finals of the All-Filipino Conference on Saturday.
The Heroes and Soaring Eagles won a game apiece in the finals to send the series to its penalty shootout, Armageddon. The former’s Grandmaster (GM) Banjo Barcenilla won while Camarines’s GM Mark Paragua also won their respective assignments. The result came down to Laguna’s AJ Literatus and Camarines’s Ellan Asuela. The latter looked like he was well on his way to a win and a championship but Literatus took advantage of a wrong move to snatch the win and title.
Now, the Laguna Heroes—led by its homegrown owner and playing coach Alfredo Paez, consultants Engineers Benjamin Dy and Jonathan Mamaril and David Nithyananthan and players Barcenilla, Gomez, Fide Masters Literatus and Efren Bagamasbad, Karen Enriquez, Vince Angelo Medina, Kimuel Aaron Lorenzo, and Arjie Bayangat—are champions.
It is especially sweet for Paez, Gomez, Medina, Lorenzo and Bayangat who all hail from Laguna.
The native sons have done good.
While the honor goes to Laguna, we must also offer salutations to valiant Camarines which conducted themselves with class and dignity all throughout the tournament and finals. Even in defeat, this team showed class and professionalism.
Watching Asuela stand up in dismay after he knew that his mistake cost them the championship, his first words were to offer congratulations before a short and terse lament, “napakalaking sayang.”
I remember thinking, this would have been a nice victory for Paragua who lost his father recently and had to fly home for this. But GM Mark, Ellan and the rest of the Soaring Eagles led by their team owner, Engineer Jojo Buenaventura, have nothing to be ashamed about as they went to the finals and fought the good fight.
They will be back.
I couldn’t help but feel proud for PCAP (it’s Commissioner Atty. Paul Elauria and chairman Michael Chua), it’s teams and supporters.
I played chess for recreation as a kid before football and baseball stole my heart. At six, I remember being transfixed by that match between Bobby Fischer and Boris Spassky. How could you not? It was big news in a world in the midst of the Cold War.
I was proud too to when Eugene Torre became the first Filipino GM. And in 2007, I got to work on a project that led to a photo exhibit featuring Olympians. And that included Torre and GM Joey Antonio, our third GM. Noted photographer Bien Bautista took some amazing photos of the two.
Writing and following PCAP from its inception to the draft and the tournament proper, my heart swelled with pride for all the teams. Seeing more people follow it and then San Miguel coming in to sponsor the league was amazing.
Personally, I never wrote anything about chess before and I must say that I owe it to Games and Amusements Board chairman Baham Mitra for this. It was the gentleman from Palawan who called me told me to help PCAP get off the ground.
I didn’t even think twice. I said yes immediately. And I love and enjoy covering the league. Every single moment.
With basketball, boxing, football and volleyball all enjoying success as professional sports, it’s great to see chess given its due.
Seeing the reactions of people during the online matches of PCAP, it was exhilarating.
Watching the PCAP community on Saturday night talk and all in smiles following the finals…I felt proud and happy for all of them. This wasn’t only something historic. It will do something for the sport in this country both in the short and long term. The way they empowered women, senior citizens, and homegrown players…incredible! Now people will look at the collegiate chess matches in a different light. Now, people will know the names of the players outside the Grandmasters. Now kids will take up the sport.
And that can only mean good things.
Watching all of that and reflecting last night, I had this thought…I am proud to be a Filipino.