BUDAPEST — Janelle Mae Frayna produced her biggest win so far in the 45th FIDE Chess Olympiad as the PH women’s team made up for a disappointing loss by its male counterpart with a stunning 2.5-1.15 victory over Argentina at the BOK Sports Hall on Wednesday, Sept. 18, here.
The country’s first and only Woman Grandmaster to date took an early positional advantage but had to dig deep into her bag of tricks before beating Maria Jose Campos in 66 moves of their English duel.
When it was over, the enlisted Army woman emerged a bishop up that sealed the Filipinas’ win that catapulted them into a share of 15th spot with 13 others with 10 match points.
Wunderkind Ruelle Canino was the first to deliver the point by pulling the rug from under WGM Claudia Amura, the Argentines’ former top board player, in 39 moves of another English showdown at board four.
Shania Mae Mendoza then blew her winning chances to suffer a stinging defeat on board one to WGM Candela Francisco Guecamburu but Jan Jodilyn Fronda showed nerves of steel in splitting the point with Anapaola Borda Rodas on board three.
They hope to sustain the momentum when they clash with South Africa next.
While the Filipina chessers displayed great resolve, the men’s squad proved to be an easy customer to Croatian side, absorbing a 3.5-.5 loss.
Only Julio Catalino Sadorra survived the massacre, splitting the point with super GM Ante Brkic on board one.
That sent the Filipinos in a group at No. 44 with eight points and would battle South Africa next.
The Filipinos actually looked good after Sadorra’s draw — a 31-move standoff in a Cozio variation of the Ruy Lopez.
But John Paul Gomez, Daniel Quizon and Pau Bersamina fell one after the other that resulted in that painful defeat.
