Surging Frayna seizes solo lead in Philippine Women’s Chess Championship

MANILA, Philippines – Janelle Mae Frayna showed she isn’t slowing down anytime soon as she crushed a listless Mariel Calimbo in a 36-move King’s Indian masterpiece Wednesday to ascend to the solo lead after eight rounds in the 2021 Philippine National Women’s Chess Championship at the PACE in Quezon City.

The 24-year-old top-seeded Frayna did not leave anything to chance and threw everything at her disposal at Calimbo’s exposed king to extract the full point, the former’s sixth which was good for solo first place.

And it looked like nothing could stop Frayna, who lost to 13-year-old sensation Ruelle Canino in the opening round Saturday, for now.

Third seed Jan Jodilyn Fronda, the 2019 winner who was Frayna’s co-leader the round before, could not sustain the pace as she was left with a draw against second pick Shania Mae Mendoza via repetition.

Their duel lasted only 16 moves in a Ruy Lopez game.

Frayna, an Army woman and proud daughter of Camarines Sur, was shooting for another win against a dangerous Rinoa Mariel Sadey in the ninth round being played at press time.

Sadey downed Canino in 50 moves of a Pirc Defense to stay in the middle of the pack at sixth with 4.5 points.

Mendoza stayed at No. 3 with five points along with Kylen Joy Mordido, who is being tipped to become the country’s next Woman Grandmaster, and Marie Antoinette San Diego.

Mordido trounced Bernadette Galas in 38 moves of a Sicilian encounter while San Diego crushed Francois Magpily in 30 moves of yet another Sicilian.

The event, which is backed by PSC chair Butch Ramirez, Chess Movement, Inc. chair Dr. Ariel Potot, PCSO general manager Royina Garma, Endgame Sports founder Atty. Cris Aspiras, POC president Bambol Tolentino, NCFP chief Butch Pichay and Atty. Roel Canobas, stakes P50,000 to the champion and a berth to the Hanoi Southeast Games in May next year.