Canino catches up with Frayna in PHL Women’s Chess Championship

THE Ruelle Canino freight train is looking unstoppable.

The 18-year-old Ms. Canino sustained her mighty form and hacked out a 67-move win over Kate Ordizo to zoom straight to the top alongside Janelle Mae Frayna after 10 rounds of the Philippine National Women’s Chess Championship in Malolos, Bulacan on Sunday.

It was the seventh point for the phenomenal Cagayan de Oro lass in the last eight rounds that she laced with six victories in this event financed by host Mayor Christian Natividad and the Philippine Sports Commission.

It negated an atrocious start that saw her blowing an easy win in the opening round and settling for a draw and losing the second in one of her worst games of this 15-round meet dubbed the “Battle of the Women’s Masters.”

Because of it, Ms. Canino has caught up with Ms. Frayna, who was hijacked by Allaney Jia Doroy into a 39-move standoff of a Caro-Kann Defense, at the helm with 7.5 points apiece.

Ms. Canino is eyeing her second title victory here after reigning supreme in Mactan, Cebu two years ago.

But she will be hard-pressed as Ms. Frayna should bounce back strong as well as another former national titlist Jan Jodilyn Fronda, who moved to solo third with seven points after edging Vic Glysen Derotas in 60 moves of a Pirc.

The top three finishers here, of course, would automatically punch tickets straight to this September’s World Chess Olympiad in Samarkand, Uzbekistan.

Also in contention for an Olympiad slot was Bernadette Galas, who was at No. 4 with 6.5 points following a 76-move truce with Maria Lavandero in their razor-sharp Sicilian showdown. — Joey Villar