Toledo-Xignex Trojans eye first PCAP title
This as they play for chess tourney's All-Filipino Conference grand finals
CEBU CITY, Philippines — Will the Toledo-Xignex Trojans finally capture their elusive first Professional Chess Association of the Philippines (PCAP) crown?
All eyes will be on them as they battle the powerhouse Pasig City King Pirates in the grand finals of the 2025 PCAP All-Filipino Conference on Wednesday, May 14.
This marks the third consecutive finals appearance for the Trojans, who fell short on both the 2024 Wesley So Cup and the previous All-Filipino Conference—both times against the Manila Load Manna Knights. However, with the Knights eliminated in the semifinals last week, the path is clearer than ever for Toledo.
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On paper, the Trojans enter as underdogs against the three-time champion Pasig City King Pirates. Pasig dominated in Seasons 2 and 3, clinching three titles in just six conference campaigns. During that same period, Toledo struggled to break past the semifinals.
But momentum appears to be on Toledo’s side. They stunned Pasig in their inter-division match last April 16, 12-9, and went on to dominate the southern division with a 19-3 (win-loss) record—just three wins shy of their franchise-best 22-0 mark during the 2023 Wesley So Cup.
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Pasig, meanwhile, finished third in the eliminations with a 17-5 record.
Toledo will lean on International Master (IM) Joel Banawa at Board 1, supported by IM Joel Pimentel, Woman FIDE Master (WFM) Cherry Ann Mejia, IM Barlo Nadera, and FIDE Master (FM) Carlos Edgardo Garma. Bolstering their campaign are strong homegrown talents in IM Kim Steven Yap, IM Rico Mascarinas, Diego Abraham Caparino, Bonn Rainauld Tibod, and Allan Pason.
Pasig counters with a formidable lineup anchored by young Grandmaster (GM) Daniel Quizon, alongside IM Ildefonso Datu, Arena Grandmaster (AGM) Rowelyn Acedo, IM Petronio Roca, Kevin Arquero, Sherwin Tiu, Jerome Villanueva, and Mark Kevin Labog.
The grand finals will kick off at 7 p.m. and will be streamed live on the official PCAP Facebook page.
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