WORLD Chess Olympiad sensation Ruelle ‘Tawing’ Canino is the third female chess player from Cagayan de Oro to make it to the world’s highest chess pinnacle in women’s team competition.
The 16-year-old Canino, who was handpicked by Grandmaster Jayson Gonzales for the varsity team of Far Eastern University High School after graduating from Kauswagan Elementary School, was able to compete with the Philippine team in the ongoing World Chess Olympiad in Budapest, Hungary.
The mother and daughter tandem of Woman National Masters Cecil and Loreshyl Cuizon were the first to make it some decades ago, but not in the manner Canino did it in the most impressive way.
While the older Cecil Gaburno Cuizon qualified to the Olympiad in Russia after her top-three finish in the national elimination, and her daughter Loreshyl followed suit in Spain Olympiad at 20 years old, the pint-size Canino gained her special place in the Philippine women's team after winning both the national elimination and the grand finals at sweet 16.
“Gi break tanan ni Tawing (Canino) ilang record. Impressive kaayo iyang pag qualify to be with the Philippine women’s team in this year’s World Chess Olympiad,” national chess arbiter Lorenzo Cuizon, Cecil’s better half, told Gold Star Daily.
A protege of Barangay 23 chairman Jaime Joshua Frias II, Canino made a breakthrough in the week-long Olympiad in Hungary by scoring an upset victory against WGM Claudia Amura in 39 moves of the English Opening as the Filipinas shocked the higher-rated Argentines, 2.5-1.5.
“Kon wala nahimo sa akong asawa (Cecil) ug anak (Loreshel), I believe that little Tawing (Canino) has what it takes to become the next Filipina Grandmaster in chess,” was Cuizon’s prophecy.
