IT may not be her time yet, but Cagayan de Oro’s 13-year-old Woman National Master Ruelle ‘Tawing’ Canino is already a ‘success story’ in the ongoing 2021 Philippine National Women’s Chess Championship at the PACE building in Quezon City.
Rebounding from a spate of losses after her sensational opening-round victory over the country’s lone Woman Grandmaster Janelle Mae Frayna, the small but terrible Canino drew with reigning titlist Woman International Master Jan Jodilyn Fronda after a long 65-move London System tussle in yesterday’s ninth round marked with heavy wins ― fighting chess style.
“Dili basta-basta nga draw mosukol na gyod bataa. It just proves that our little Tawing can now handle with the best much older rivals in Philippine chess,” said Canino’s coach and trainer Jaime Joshua Frias II.
“That she won over a Grandmaster (Frayna) and drew with the 2019 Women’s Open ruler (Fronda) was enough our consolation for now.”
The former Barangay Kauswagan Central School standout Canino, whose campaign is supported by the city government of Cagayan de Oro and Barangay 21 village chair Gigi Go, faces second pick Woman Fide Master Shania Mae Mendoza and veteran Olympiad campaigner Woman International Master Bernadette Galas in the last two rounds today.
After her loss to Canino in the 12-player round-robin affair, Frayna woke up in time to pile up successive wins and is now a full point ahead of the field at seven points.
Behind Frayna in a three-way logjam at six points, each is WIMs Kylene Joy Mordido and Fronda and WFM Mendoza.
Total cash prizes of P135,000 and a slot to next year’s Hanoi Southeast Asian Games are at stake in this 12-player round-robin affair with the champion getting P50,000 and the second and third placers out to receive P30,000 and P15,000, respectively, plus trophies.
