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Manila Bulletin devider Sports devider Frayna scores another draw to tighten hold of solo lead in Philippine Women's Chess Championship

Frayna scores another draw to tighten hold of solo lead in Philippine Women's Chess Championship

Published Feb 5, 2026 02:21 pm

At A Glance

  • The Olympiad veteran needed 40 moves of an Alekhine Defense to improve to five points, allowing her to pull away to a full-point lead ahead closest pursuers Women International Master Jan Jodilyn Fronda, WIM Ruelle Canino and WIM Bernadette Galas.
WGM Janelle Mae Frayna
WGM Janelle Mae Frayna
Woman Grandmaster Janelle Mae Frayna drew with Maria Lavandero to strengthen her grip of the solo lead after six rounds in the Philippine National Women’s Chess Championship in Malolos, Bulacan on Thursday, Feb. 5.
The Olympiad veteran needed 40 moves of an Alekhine Defense to improve to five points, allowing her to pull away to a full-point lead ahead closest pursuers Women International Master Jan Jodilyn Fronda, WIM Ruelle Canino and WIM Bernadette Galas.
Fronda remained with four points after falling to unheralded Kate Ordizo in 58 moves of a French duel, while Canino roared to her third straight win following a 51-move trouncing of Mhage Sebastian of Queen’s Gambit game.
Galas, for her part, halved the point with Vic Derotas in 30 moves of yet another Queen’s Gambit to catch up with Fronda and Canino.
Canino is coming off a flat, nearly disastrous start after scoring just half a point in the first two rounds but has now fully recovered and back in the Olympiad berth hunt.
Interestingly, the current top four were part of the squad that struck gold in Category B in Budapest Olympiad two years ago.
At 3.5 points was a pack of four in Ordizo, Heart Padilla, Allaney Jia Doroy and Cherry Ann Mejia.
With still nine rounds to go in this tournament backed by host city Mayor Christian Natividad and the Philippine Sports Commission, it will still be a wide-open race for those three slots to the national team seeing action in this September’s World Chess Olympiad in Samarkand, Uzbekistan.
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