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Janelle Mae Frayna, the Philippines’ only Woman Grandmaster, tows the national women’s team to the top 15 heading into the final stretch of the FIDE Chess Olympiad in Budapest
MANILA, Philippines – The Philippines’ only Woman Grandmaster delivered the coup de grace.
WGM Janelle Mae Frayna pulled off a methodical but hard-earned victory on board 2 that lifted the Philippine women’s team to a stunning 2.5-1.5 victory over Argentina in the 45th FIDE Chess Olympiad at the BOK Sports Hall in Budapest, Hungary on Wednesday, September 18.
The feat propelled the Philippines to No. 15 with 10 match points tied with 13 others after seven rounds.
Frayna seized a pawn and positional edge early after outplaying Argentina’s Maria Jose Campos in the opening of their English duel, but had to fight hard for it to extract the full point after 66 moves.
When it was over, the enlisted Army woman emerged a bishop up that sealed the Filipinas the win.
Ruelle Canino was the first to deliver the point for the Philippines by pulling the rug from under WGM Claudia Amura, the Argentines’ former top board player, in 39 moves of another English showdown on board 4.
Shania Mae Mendoza then blew her winning chances in a defeat to WGM Candela Francisco Guecamburu on board 1, and Jan Jodilyn Fronda showed nerves of steel in splitting the point with Anapaola Borda Rodas on board 3 that knotted the count at 1.5.
Then Frayna pulled off a magnificent performance in a crucial win that gave the Philippines a chance to reclaim its place in the top 10 of the 11-round tournament.
The Philippines will go up against No. 16 Turkey in the eighth round.
“It gets tougher and tougher from here on, but we’ll keep fighting,” said national women’s team coach GM Jayson Gonzales, who was accompanied by men’s non-playing captain GM Eugene Torre and delegation head Ruel Canobas.
Meanwhile, GM Julio Catalino Sadorra drew with super GM Ante Brkic at top board to avert a humiliating sweep at the hands of Croatia, which hammered out a 3.5-.5 win in the men’s side.
That sent the Filipinos tumbling to No. 44 with 8 points ahead of their battle against South Africa.
The Filipinos actually looked good after Sadorra’s draw — a 31-move standoff in a Cozio variation of the Ruy Lopez. But John Paul Gomez, Daniel Quizon, and Pau Bersamina fell one after the other that resulted in that excruciating defeat. – Rappler.com
