Frayna, Canino pace National Women’s Chess Championship

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine National Women’s Chess Championship is fast shaping up as a two-way race between Janelle Mae Frayna and Ruelle Canino.

It turned out so after Frayna remained unshakeable at No. 1 and Canino soared to No. 2 after seven rounds of the 15-round tournament dubbed “Battle of the Women’s Masters” in Malolos, Bulacan.

Frayna settled for a second straight draw, this time with Queen Pamplona in 39 moves of a Center-Counter game while Canino bested Allaney Jia Doroy in 59 moves of a Queen’s Gambit.

The pair of results kept Frayna, who has 5.5 points, and Canino, who has five, in the top two of this tournament giving three slots to this September’s World Chess Olympiad in Samarkand, Uzbekistan.

They play each other in the eighth round today after the meet, which is being sponsored by host city Mayor Christian Natividad and the Philippine Sports Commission, took a much-needed respite Friday.

Also eyeing a place in the national team were Heart Padilla, Jan Jodilyn Fronda and Bernadette Galas, who were at No. 3 with 4.5 points apiece.

Padilla swarmed at Maria Lavandero in 31 moves of a Sicilian; Fronda drew with Shania Mae Mendoza in 36 moves of a Queen’s Pawn game; and Galas split the point with Marie Antoinette San Diego in 31 moves of yet another Sicilian.

Frayna was put off balance after he was on the receiving end of a furious kingside attack unleashed by the Passi, Iloilo native but gutsily clawed her way out of trouble and even snatched a pawn.

But the country’s first Woman Grandmaster couldn’t find anything out of her material edge and just settled for a truce knowing couldn’t get the shackles off the threat of Pamplona’s strong, coordinated rooks.

For Canino, she turned, brick by brick, the slight opening edge into a winning attack after a bishop sacrifice.

Doroy declined it though but she was already a pawn down and Canino effortlessly took advantage of it.