Draw stalls Docena; Fronda triumphs

MANILA, Philippines - Jerad Docena failed to shake off Indian Sunilduth Lyna Narayanan and settled for a draw while Jan Jodilyn Fronda bounced back with a victory over Kazakhstan’s WFM Assaubayeva Bibissara in the fourth round of the World Junior Chess Championships in Kocaeli, Turkey yesterday.

The draw hardly moved Docena in the standings as the Filipino bet, seeking his third and final IM norm, stood in joint 21st with 2.5 points.

But Docena will have his hands full when he sets out against Armenian IM Vahe Baghdasaryan in the fifth round.

Top seed Chinese GM Yu Yangyi beat No. 6 UAE’s GM Salem A.R. Saleh to grab the lead in the Open section with four points.

Fronda, meanwhile, notched her second point in girls’ play with the Filipina ace hoping to sustain her momentum when she goes up against WIM Vo Thi Kim Phung of Vietnam.

Six players, led by top seed Russian Woman Grandmaster Alina Kashlinskaya, share the lead with 3.5 points.