Frayna favored to defend titles

All eyes will be on Janelle Frayna as she tries to defend three of her titles in the Philippine Women’s Chess Championship Grand Finals starting on Nov. 29 at the Philippine Academy for Chess Excellence (PACE).

The country’s first woman Grandmaster is the three-time reigning champion in standard chess, blitz, and rapid and is favored to top the week-long tournament as part of the national team’s preparation for next year’s Asian Games in Hangzhou, China and the Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games (AIMAG) in Thailand.

But the charming 25-year-old from Albay is wary about a possible upset considering a heavy field of 12 elite players capable of beating her in all three categories.

“If you will relax, hindi mo mamamalayan mapapalitan ka na next year. So you should always be at your best,” said Frayna in yesterday’s PSA Forum at the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex.

“Feeling ko naman right now I’m still at my peak. So I’m looking forward for my fourth crown sa Women’s Chess Championship,” she said.

Frayna came with National Chess Federation of the Philippines (NCFP) executive officer and Grandmaster Jayson Gonzales and NOVA Wellness store president Vincent Travis Chua to the session presented by San Miguel Corp. (SMC), Milo, Philippine Sports Commission, Philippine Olympic Committee and the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. (PAGCOR).

Seven young players who survived a series of eliminations made it to the grand finale and will compete against Frayna, including Women’s International Master (WIM) Jan Jodilyn Fronda, WIM Beverly Mendoza, WIM Bernadette Galas and WIM Marie Antoinette San Diego.

One promising player who caught the eye of Frayna and Gonzales is 15-year-old Women’s National Master April Joy Claros.

“May gift itong bata na ito,” Frayna said.