OZAMIZ City — Foreign rivals continued to dominate the top boards halfway through the 6th Asean Individual Open Chess Championships, but Filipino International Masters Kim Steven Yap and Jan Emmanuel Garcia, alongside Filipina Fide Master Ruelle Canino, delivered crucial Round 4 wins to remain in striking distance.
The week-long event, held at the Asenso Misamis Occidental Resort and Aquamarine Park in Sinacaban, Misamis Occidental, saw local players post strong results Wednesday afternoon as they entered Round 5 of the men’s and women’s divisions.
In the men’s section, Cebu City’s Yap, known as the ‘Queen City of the South’s chess kingpin,’ trounced IM Kamotra Soham of India. Yap, now at three points, set up a board two duel with Garcia, who secured his victory over fellow Filipino IM Michael Concio Jr.
The chase for the top spot is led by two foreign players, both boasting 3.5 points: IM Munkhdalai Amilal of Mongolia, who stunned GM Tuan Minh Tran of Vietnam, and IM V S Raahul of India, who defeated 16-year-old Filipino IM Christian Gian Karlo Arca. Amilal and Raahul were scheduled to clash on the top board.
In the women’s division, the Philippines’ only Woman Grandmaster, GM Janelle Mae Frayna, secured her third win, moving her to board three against Mongolia's WFM Batpelden Euyankhishig. Frayna's 17-year-old national teammate, FM Ruelle Canino, also tallied three points after dispatching WFM Velmurugan Sreekarthika of Singapore.
Canino’s victory arranged a board four tussle with WFM Anna Zhurova of Russia. Canino, a Cagayan de Oro native and winner of six gold medals in the recent Batang Pinoy meet, had earlier posted an upset over WIM Bach Ngoc Thuy of Vietnam but was unable to convert her advantage in Round 3 against veteran WGM Thi Bao Tram Hoang of Vietnam.
“I really want to succeed in that position when a draw was already supposedly in the bag. It was lesson learned,” Canino later said.
Presented with a similar pawn-rolling edge in the endgame against the Singaporean in Round 4, Canino was determined not to be denied, securing a timely comeback triumph.
Meanwhile, the women’s top boards featured an all-Vietnam fight between WGM Thi Mai Hung Nguyen (3.5) and WGM Hoang (3.5) on board one. IM Evgenija Ovoc of Russia (3.5) faced WGM Thi Thanh An Nguyen of Vietnam (three) on board two.
Other Filipino hopefuls remaining in striking distance in the nine-round Swiss System event, which features a standard time control of 90 minutes with a 30-second increment, include IM Paulo Bersamina, GM John Paul Gomez, IM Arca and GM Darwin Laylo, each holding 2.5 points. WIM Jan Jodilyn Fronda and WIM Bernadette Galas also hold 2.5 points in the distaff side.
