WOMAN Grandmaster (WG) Janelle Mae Frayna seeks to reclaim her old throne as she sees action in the Philippine National Women’s Chess Championships that unfolded yesterday (Sunday) at the Malolos City Hall in Bulacan.
Ms. Frayna last topped the annual meet three years ago when it was held in Lapu Lapu, Cebu and she will have her hands full in the 12-player field that included defending champion Woman International Master (WIM) Marie Antoinette San Diego.
Apart from the top purse worth P85,000, the champion will earn the right to represent the country in the Asian Indoor Martial Arts Games set Nov. 21 to 30 in Bangkok, Thailand while the top three claims a spot to the squad plunging into action in the FIDE World Chess Olympiad slated Sept. 10 to 23 in Budapest, Hungary.
Ms. Frayna had actually made the men’s team after finishing in the top three of the national men’s championship last January in Marikina City.
But the Army woman has yet to decide if she would play there or stay as the top board player of the women’s squad in the biennial meet.
“It will all be known in April after this tournament,” said National Chess Federation of the Philippines chief executive officer GM Jayson Gonzales, who organizes the event hosted by Malolos City Mayor Christian Natividad.
WIMs Jan Jodilyn Fronda, Bernadette Galas and Kylen Joy Mordido, Women FIDE Masters Shania Mae Mendoza, Cherry Ann Mejia and Allana Jia Doroy, Ruelle Canino, Mhage Gerriahlou Sebastian, April Joy Ramos and Jarel Renz Lacambra are the other participants of this event backed by NCFP Chairman/President Butch Pichay, the Philippine Sports Commission and the Philippine Olympic Committee. — Joey Villar