National women's chess tilt: Frayna stops Canino to stay in title contention

MANILA, Philippines – Janelle Mae Frayna restored some order in the Philippine National Women’s Chess Championship after she stopped wonder girl Ruelle Canino in the ninth round Friday to remain in the title race in Malolos, Bulacan.

The win, her fourth straight win after starting the first five rounds with just four draws to show, catapulted the top-seeded Frayna to solo second place with six points, or just a point off the pace.

Jan Jodilyn Fronda drew with fellow Olympiad veteran Shania Mae Mendoza to catch up on Canino, a 15-year-old prodigy from Cagayan de Oro, at the helm with seven points apiece.

The three are expected to go all out in the last two rounds for a seat to the Asian Indoor Martial Games in Bangkok, Thailand this November, one of the three berths to the FIDE World Chess Olympiad in Budapest, Hungary this September and the top purse worth P85,000 courtesy of host Malolos City Mayor Christian Natividad.

Frayna also served Canino a dish best served cold — vengeance — after the former lost to the latter in the same tournament a few years ago at the PACE along Mindanao Avenue, Quezon City.

But for Frayna to catch up, she needs to sweep her last two games against April Joy Ramos in the 10th and penultimate round at press time and Chery Ann Mejia in the last round Sunday; and hope Canino and Fronda stumble in their last two assignments.