All eyes will be on Janelle Frayna as she defends three of her titles in the coming Philippine Women’s Chess Championship grand finals starting on Nov. 29 at the Philippine Academy for Chess Excellence.
Frayna, the country’s first women’s Grandmaster, is the three-time reigning champion in standard chess, blitz, and rapid and is favored to top the week-long tournament as part of the national team’s preparation for next year’s Asian Games in Hangzhou, China, and the Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games (AIMAG) in Thailand.
But the charming 25-year-old from Albay is wary about a possible upset considering a heavy field of 12 elite players capable of beating her in all three categories.
“If you will relax, hindi mo mamamalayan mapapalitan ka na next year. So you should always be at your best,” said Frayna in Tuesday’s Philippine Sportswriters Association Forum at the ground floor of the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex.
“Feeling ko naman right now I’m still at my peak. So I’m looking forward to my fourth crown sa Women’s Chess Championship.”
Frayna was with National Chess Federation of the Philippines Executive Officer Grandmaster Jayson Gonzales and NOVA Wellness store president Vincent Travis Chua in the session presented by San Miguel Corporation, MILO, Philippine Sports Commission, Philippine Olympic Committee, and the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation.
Seven young players who survived a series of eliminations made it to the grand finale and will compete against Frayna, Women’s International Master Jan Jodilyn Fronda, WIM Beverly Mendoza, WIM Bernadette Galas, and WIM Marie Antoinette San Diego.
One promising player who caught the eye of Frayna and Gonzales is 15-year-old Womens National Master April Joy Claros.
“May gift itong bata na ito,” Frayna said of Claros’ bright future. “Itong batang ito nakikita ko may talento na siya, may hard work pa siya. So who knows, only time will tell.”
The tournament will be a single round robin, according to Gonzales, who this early is already looking at two out of the seven young players who qualified as potential future member of the national team.
“May nakikita akong dalawa na talagang mukhang papalit sa members ng ating national team looking forward to the 2024 (Chess) Olympiad in Hungary,” said the Filipino grandmaster.
Chua, meanwhile, is looking forward at partnering with the NCFP with its various programs and projects beginning with the Women’s Chess Championship grand finals through NOVA Wellness.
“Chess has been in the background for a long time but it’s a sport where I think we can really excel in,” said Chua, who previously played chess for the Ateneo team in the UAAP.