OZAMIZ City ― They made history in the last World Chess Olympiad in Budapest, Hungary.
Now, the Woman Grandmaster Janelle Mae Frayna-led Philippine women’s team will make their presence felt in Mindanao, partaking in the cash-rich 5th Asenso Ozamiz Fide-Rated Open Chess Tournament on July 12-13 at the City Gymnasium here.
“I think it’s the national women’s team’s first-ever competition here in Mindanao. And they’re going to duel it out with the country’s best male chess players for non-stop two-day skirmishes in the Open division,” said tournament organizer Arena Grandmaster Rey Urbiztondo.
After Urbiztondo secured the plane tickets and arranged for their flight from Manila to the Gateway to Northwestern Mindanao, the country’s lone female Grandmaster Frayna immediately shared a socmed post, “I will be in Ozamiz City for their 5th Asenso Ozamiz Fide-Rated Open Chess Tournament. See you on July 12.”
The early exit of Cagayan de Oro City pride Ruelle Canino in the Women’s Chess World Cup in Batumi, Georgia after a 2-0 sweep at the hands of Russian prodigy Anna Shukman, has guaranteed a full force participation of the national women’s squad in Ozamiz alongside fellow Woman Fide Master Shania Mae Mendoza and Woman International Master Jan Jodilyn Fronda.
“"Our World Cup’s loss will be Mindanao’s gain as many youngsters from the island are coming here to compete, and they’re looking up at the 17-year-old Canino as their modern chess hero for inspiration,” Urbiztondo said.
The Filipinas, with Canino scoring heavily on board 4, made the country proud after orchestrating a historic gold medal finish in Category B of the 45th FIDE Chess Olympiad in Budapest, Hungary, finishing 24th overall.
Today at 2 pm, Asia’s first Grandmaster and Hall of Famer Eugene Torre will make a courtesy call at the City Hall office of newly-minted Ozamiz City Mayor Sam Norman G. Fuentes.
Together, the two of them will make the ceremonial moves of the more than half-a-million Ozamiz chessfest tomorrow morning in the company of the Misamis Occidental governor Henry Oaminal, Representatives Sancho Fernando ‘Ando’ Oaminal and Atty. Henry ‘Indy’ Oaminal, Jr, and GM Jayson Gonzales, executive director and secretary general of the National Chess Federation of the Philippines.
Apart from the premier Open category, the nine-round Fide-rated Swiss System tourney will also have the regular Open High School and Elementary rivalries to spice up the 77th City Charter Anniversary and Feast of Nuestra Señora de la Asunción y Del Triunfo De Migpangi celebrations.
