Frayna claws way to victory

MANILA, Philippines, August 3 ------ Woman Grandmaster Janelle Mae Frayna leaned on her endgame creativity to claw her way to victory and power the Philippines to a 3.5-.5 rout of Angola last Monday and into the Top 12 after four rounds of the 44th World Chess Olympiad in Chennai, India. After an opening misstep that blew away her early positional edge, Frayna gave up the exchange then watched Esperanca Caxita implode in the endgame to carve out a 71-move win of an English Opening to seal the country’s one-sided win.

Jan Jodilyn Fronda and Marie Antoinette San Diego were quick to hammer out victories on boards two and three while WGM candidate Kylen Joy Mordido couldn’t cash in on her winning chances to split the point with Renelsa Taiane Antonio on last board.

The emphatic triumph catapulted the Filipinas, whose participation is sponsored by the Philippine Sports Commission, into a 34-country tie for 12th place with six match points to show. Seeded 39th, they could ram their way into the Top 10 if they shock the Netherlands, seeded 17th who were smashed by the Poles, 3.5-.5, in the fifth round at press time.

Equally impressive were the Filipinos, who slammed Monaco, 3.5-.5, on a win that was sealed when GM Banjo Barcenilla escaped defeat in a marathon 80-move standoff of a King’s Indian Attack with Ukrainian-born WGM Tatiana Dornbusch on top board. GMs John Paul Gomez and Darwin Laylo and International Master Paulo Bersamina all had easier paths in outclassing their respective opponents from boards two to four to lift the country to a 23-nation logjam at 18th spot also with six points.

Source: philstar.com