GRANDMASTER (GM) Oliver Barbosa was named the first-ever Most Valuable Player (MVP) of the first season of the Professional Chess Association of the Philippines (PCAP) during the opening ceremony for the 2022 season on Saturday night.
Barbosa was instrumental in leading the San Juan Predators to the third conference title and a second place finish in the Wesley So Cup last year, where San Juan won 90 percent of its games with a 90-10 record across three conferences and making it deep in the playoffs each time.
The Pasig King Pirates were feted the Tag Team Champions Award while one of its stalwarts, Eric Labog Jr., was named Best Player of the third conference.
The season Most Valuable Player Award was a nice moment for Barbosa got the MVP trophy exactly 10 years after receiving his GM title.
“I was shocked, I didn’t expect to get this award,” Barbosa said. “My goal is to help San Juan win.”
Besides the MVP trophy, the New York-based Barbosa also received the Open Conference Finals MVP plum as well as one of the two Top-Rated Board Players of the first season’s Mythical Seven. International Master (IM) Jem Garcia of The Caloocan LoadManna Knights was the other winner.
The other members of the Mythical Seven were San Juan’s Jan Jodilyn Fronda (Best Lady Player), IM Cris Ramayrat formerly of the Manila Indios Bravos and now with the Pasig King Pirates (Best Senior Player) and GM John Paul Gomez of the Laguna Heroes and National Master John Michael Silvederio and Fritz Bryan Porras of the Iloilo Kisela Knights (Homegrown Boards winners).
The Surigao Fianchetto Checkmates received the Team Sportsmanship Award.