Mordido woman GM in the making

MANILA, Philippines — Teenage sensation Kylen Joy Mordido could well be the country’s next chess Woman Grandmaster after Janelle Mae Frayna.

Mordido, a 17-year-old Woman International Master, shocked IM Han Myint of Myanmar, whose rating of 2257 is way higher than the former’s 1934, in the eighth and penultimate round of the SOE International Open 2019 in Myanmar to virtually clinch her second WGM norm -- thanks to an impressive 2498 performance rating.

The Dasmariñas, Cavite-based lass could gain an extra IM norm for men’s players if she could score at least a draw against seventh seed GM Stefan Djuric of Serbia in the final round at press time.

A loss would still secure Mordido her second of the three results needed to become a WGM. She earned her first WGM norm last year when she topped the premier girls’ 18-under division in the Eastern Asia Youth Championships in Korea.

 FIDE Master Roel Abelgas, Mordido’s coach, said they will try to secure the final norm in three tournaments in India next month.

“We will do our best to accomplish it in India where we are entered in three tournaments,” Abelgas told The STAR.