WGM Janelle Mae Frayna dominates Women’s Invitational ahead of World Chess Olympiad

BATTLE ready.

That was how Filipina Woman Grandmaster (WGM) Janelle Mae Frayna summed up her form after she won the Women’s Invitational in Alicia, Isabela last Sunday by a mile that came just around a week before she plunges back into action in the World Chess Olympiad in Samarkand, Uzbekistan.

“I’m ready and hoping for the best,” said the 30-year-old, who is the country’s first and only WGM thus far.

Ms. Frayna, along with teammates Shania Mae Mendoza, Ruelle Canino, Mhage Sebastian and Jan Jodilyn Fronda, is expected to fly to Samarkand this week with an eye of matching, if not surpassing, their Group B gold medal finish in the last staging in Budapest, Hungary two years ago.

And the anticipation and high level of preparation was in full, majestic display for Ms. Frayna in Alicia where she utterly destroyed the competition by scoring an unbeaten 11.5 points out of 13 on 10 wins and three draws.

She split the point with Franchesca Largo in the final round in 31 moves of an English game despite ending up a pawn down.

She was also 2.5 points ahead of eventual runner-up in Ms. Mendoza, who flattened Marie Francois Magpily in 37 moves of a Four Knights Game.

Ms. Canino took third with eight points after halving the point with Kate Nicole Ordizo in 25 moves of yet another English duel.

The recent feat was reminiscent of the time when Ms. Frayna began her rise as the 2016 national champion where she also won by a 2.5-point margin.

“It was like 2016 when I won by 2.5 points and I’m thankful to everyone who continue to believe in me,” she said. — Joey Villar