Woman Grandmaster Janelle Mae Frayna and Woman International Master Shania Mae Mendoza have assured the Philippines of a silver medal on Wednesday in the 32nd Southeast Asian Games 2023 Ouk Chaktrong (Cambodian chess) women’s doubles 60-minute at the Royal University of Phnom Penh in Cambodia.
A 4-1 win-loss record in the knockout ladder prelims netted the Filipina duo a 3.5 tally, the same points held by Myanmar and Malaysia.
According to National women’s team coach and National Chess Federation of the Philippines executive director Grandmaster Jayson Gonzales, this has rendered the tandem’s coming seventh-round battle against Pen Khemrareaksmey and Tep Sokratha of the host country a no-bearing one based on their computations.
“Kinuwenta na namin, ganoon din ‘yung kanila. Sureball na sa atin ang silver. Kasi kung may three or two-way tie after the last round, ang first tiebreak ay winner-over-the-other rule,” said Gonzales of the novel chess event played for the first time in the 11-nation, biennial sportsfest.
The only setback of the team, supported by the Philippine Sports Commission, came Tuesday evening at the hands of Nu Hong An Ton and Than Phuong Thao Pham of Vietnam, 0.5-1.5, in the sixth and penultimate round.
Before this, Frayna and Mendoza, both 24, defeated Burmese Soe Moe Khaing and Su Su Hlaing on opening day; clipped Malaysia’s Chua Jia Ten and Nur Faicaq Aminuddin in the second, 1.5-0.5; before blanking Thais Sarocha Chuemsakul and Sirikan Charoen, 1.5-0.0, in the third.
The tandem drew a bye in the fourth before whipping Laos’ Houanchanmone Phonesavanh and Inthavong Maly in the fifth stage, 1-0.
The men’s side, however, was unable to keep up with the women’s.
Asia’s first Grandmaster and playing-coach Eugene Torre and GMs Joey Antonio and Darwin Lalylo fell in the men’s triples 60-minute to Vietnamese Nham Tam Hoang Quoc Dung Tran at The Anh Duong, 2.5-0.5.
On the other hand, National Master Edmundo Gatos yielded to Naing Myo Lin of Myanmar in the men’s singles 5-minute and 60-minute events.
