Pinays blank UAE in Olympiad

MANILA, Philippines - The Philippine women’s team blanked United Arab Emirates to storm back into contention even as the men’s side ran into a game Austria and absorbed an embarrassing 3-1 defeat in the sixth round of the 41st Chess Olympiad in Tromso, Norway Friday night.

Chardine Cheradee Camacho, Janelle Mae Frayna, Jan Jodilyn Fronda and Catherin Perena each came out victorious over Kholoud Essa Al-Zarouni, Amna Nouman, Aisha Al-Zarouni and Ali Abeer, respectively.

The win sent the Filipinas in a 13-team logjam for 41st place with seven points apiece and should improve further if they sustain their momentum with another victory over a lower-ranked but dangerous Egypt in the seventh round currently being played at press time.

The triumph also made up for the Filipinos’ devastating defeat at the hands of the Austrians with grandmasters Julio Catalino Sadorra and John Paul Gomez succumbing on the top two boards to GMs Markus Ragger and David Shengelia.

GM Eugene Torre and fast-rising International Master Paulo Bersamina saved the day for the men’s team after splitting the point with IMs Robert Kreisl and Andres Diermair on boards three and four.

The vintage Torre, 62, continued to defy time as he eked out a miraculous 43-move draw with Kreisl in their Slav duel while Bersamina, 16, held Diermair to a 37-move standoff in a Two Knights Game.

Torre, who is playing a historic 22nd Olympiad, lit the candle in Phl’s  darkest hour as he escaped with the draw after he fell in an overwhelmingly losing position and went an exchange down after being forced to give up a rook for a bishop and a pawn.

But Kreisl couldn’t cash in and allowed Torre and the Filipinos to lose by just 3-1 instead of 3.5-.5  on a draw by the ageless former many-time Phl board player.

After six games, Torre remained unscathed with four points on two victories and four draws including this great escape.

The loss though sent the Phl crashing from a place inside the Top 25 to a piece of 49th spot with seven points.

It will take on Belgium next.

The Phl is playing with a chip on its shoulder as it came here without  GMs Wesley So and Oliver Barbosa, who manned the top boards in the last Olympiad staging in Turkey two years ago.

So is changing allegiance and is coaching the United States’ men’s squad while Barbosa didn’t make the trip due to visa delays.