Mendoza 3rd in World Youth Chess

MANILA, Philippines —  Jemaicah Yap Mendoza blew her golden chance at glory, succumbing to Russian Polina Smirnova in 43 moves of a Slav Defense in the 11th and final round to settle for the bronze in the girls’ Under-14 division of the World Youth Chess Championships in Durres, Albania Wednesday.

Yap, 14, faltered in the opening and just couldn’t extract her way out of a cramped position that allowed Smirnova to launch a vicious kingside attack.

When it was over, the Russian had unstoppable passed pawns on both sides to seal the deal.

In the end, the Sta. Rosa, Laguna native finished third with 8.5 points.

Smirnova wound up tied for first with Uzbekistan’s Rukiya Olimava, who trounced Russia’s Eliza Tereshchenko in the last round. The latter took the gold with a superior tiebreaker.

Mendoza defeated Olimova in their seventh-round match.