At A Glance
- Woman Grandmaster Janelle Mae Frayna's bid got derailed after scoring just half a point in the last two rounds of the 1st Bangladore International Grandmasters Open at the Sri Kanteerava Indoor Stadium in India on Friday, Jan. 19.
Woman Grandmaster Janelle Mae Frayna’s bid got derailed after scoring just half a point in the last two rounds of the 1st Bangladore International Grandmasters Open at the Sri Kanteerava Indoor Stadium in India on Friday, Jan. 19.

Frayna fell to Indian International Master A R Ilamparthi in the second round and then split the point with another Indian but untitled A. Balkishan in the third that sent the 26-year-old Army private from Legazpi City from a share of the lead after the opening round to the middle of the 150-player field with 1.5 points after three rounds.
Frayna will have a chance to jump back to contention as she was seeking a victory over yet another local bet in Harshit Pawar in the fourth round Saturday, Jan. 20, in this 10-round tournament she using as part of her preparation for this September’s FIDE World Chess Olympiad in Budapest, Hungary.
She is also using this meet for a chance at claiming an International Master norm.
Frayna was coming off a strong third-place finish in the Philippine National Chess Championships topped by IM Daniel Quizon early this month in Marikina City that earned her the distinction as the first Filipina to make it to Olympiad-bound men’s squad.
That is, of course, assuming she decides to do so.
Another Filipino, 19-year-old Jethro Dino Aquino, ran into Indian GM S. P. Sethuraman and got stuck with 2 points.
Also with 1.5 points was Frayna’s and women’s national team coach GM Jayson Gonzales, who fell to India’s Nilsu Pattnayak.
Woman International Master Jan Jodilyn Fronda lost to IM G M H Thilakarathne and remained with a point while WIM Bernadette Galas remained scoreless after succumbing to Aggarwal Ishvi.