BUDAPEST—Janelle Mae Frayna struck the hardest and delivered a methodical, but hard-earned victory on Board 2, lifting the Philippines to a stunning 2.5-1.15 victory over Argentina and straight into a big group at No. 15 after seven rounds of the 45th FIDE Chess Olympiad at the BOK Sports Hall here Wednesday.
The country’s first and only Woman Grandmaster to date had actually seized a pawn and positional edge early after outplaying Maria Jose Campos in the opening of their English duel, but had to fight for it brick for brick to extract the full point after 66 moves.
When it was over, the enlisted Army woman emerged a bishop up, to seal the win for the Filipinas, whose trip is bankrolled by the Philippine Sports Commission, through chair Richard Bachmann and Ed Hayco and backed by NCFP chief Butch Pichay.
The victory also gave the team a share of 15th spot with 13 others with 10 match points.
Wunderkind Ruelle Canino was the first to deliver the point by pulling the rug from under WGM Claudia Amura, the Argentines’ former top board player, in 39 moves of another English showdown at Board 4.
Shania Mae Mendoza then blew her winning chances in a defeat to WGM Candela Francisco Guecamburu at board one and Jan Jodilyn Fronda showed nerves of steel in splitting the point with Anapaola Borda Rodas at board three that knotted the count at 1.5.
The result earned the country an eighth-round duel with 16th seed Turkey for a chance at reclaiming its place in the top 10 of this 11-round tournament.
“It gets tougher and tougher from here on, pero laban lang,” said national women’s team coach GM Jayson Gonzales, who was accompanied by men’s non-playing captain GM Eugene Torre and delegation head Atty. Ruel Canobas.
Meanwhile, GM Julio Catalino Sadorra drew with super GM Ante Brkic at top board to avert a humiliating sweep at the hands of Croatia, which hammered out a 3.5-.5 win in the men’s side.
This sent the Filipinos in a group at No. 44 with eight points and would battle South Africa next.
The Filipinos actually looked good after Sadorra’s draw—a 31-move standoff in a Cozio variation of the Ruy Lopez.
But John Paul Gomez, Daniel Quizon and Pau Bersamina fell one after the other.
