GM Oliver Barbosa is first ever PCAP MVP

MANILA, Philippines — Grandmaster Oliver Barbosa was named the first ever Most Valuable Player of the first season of the Professional Chess Association of the Philippines during the opening ceremony for the 2022 campaign held Saturday night.

Barbosa was instrumental in leading the San Juan Predators to the third conference title as well as a second place finish in the Wesley So Cup during the 2021 campaign. In the maiden tournament of PCAP, San Juan won 90% of its games as they went 90-10, across three conferences and making it deep in the play-offs every time.

The Pasig King Pirates were bequeathed 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 as it was the 10th anniversary of his receiving the Grandmaster title in 2011. 

A moved Barbosa waxed eloquent of the historic award. “Medyo na-shock ako sa award kasi hindi naman natin iniisip o inaasahan to (I was kind of shocked because of the award because I was not thinking about it or expecting it),” he said. “Ang goal lang naman ay matulungan ang San Juan manalo (The only goal wa to help San Juan win).”

The MVP Award wasn’t the only one the New York-based Barbosa took home. He also received the Open Conference Finals Most Valuable Player plum as well as one of the two Top-Rated Board Players of the first season’s Mythical Seven. The other winner was the Caloocan LoadManna Knights’ IM Jem Garcia. 

The other members of the Mythical Seven include San Juan’s Jan Jodilyn Fronda as the Best Lady Player, IM Cris Ramayrat formerly of the Manila Indios Bravos and now with the Pasig King Pirates for the Best Senior Player, and GM John Paul Gomez (Laguna Heroes), NM John Michael Silvederio (Iloilo Kisela Knights), and NM Fritz Bryan Porras (Iloilo Kisela Knights) for the best players on the Homegrown Boards.

The Surigao Fianchetto Checkmates received the Team Sportsmanship Award.