Woman International Master Jan Jodilyn Fronda and teen wonder Ruelle Canino came through with the needed results in the 10th and penultimate round of the Battle of Women Masters in Malolos, Bulacan to claim two of the three spots to the FIDE World Chess Olympiad in Budapest, Hungary this September.
Fronda, the 2019 national champion, downed Mhage Sebastian while Canino, a 15-year-old prodigy from Cagayan de Oro, drew with Woman FIDE Master Cherry Ann Mejia to seal their Budapest seats.
The pair of results sent Fronda alone at the helm with eight points while Canino fell from a share of it to No. 2 with 7.5 points.
Interestingly, Fronda and Canina were battling in the last round at press time with the winner claiming the crown, the one spot to the Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games in Bangkok, Thailand this November and the top purse worth a cool P85,000 courtesy of host Malolos City Mayor Atty. Christian Natividad.
Woman Grandmaster Janelle Mae Frayna suffered a shock defeat to unheralded April Joy Ramos of Marikina but still kept a grip of No. 3 alongside WGM-candidate Kylen Joy Mordido, who split the point with WIM Bernadette Galas.
Although slim, WFMs Allaney Jia Doroy and Shania Mae Mendoza, who have identical 5.5 points, still have a chance at that last berth to the biennial event if the stars align in this event organized by the NCFP and backed by the PSC and POC.
Meaning, they would need to win their games and hope Frayna and Mordido lose theirs.