Misamis Occidental Gov. Henry Oaminal Sr. (left) is about to shake the hand of International Master Zhenyong Jayden Wong before making the ceremonial move during the opening ceremony of the 6th ASEAN+ Individual Chess Championships (Open, Women & Challenger) in Ozamiz City on Monday (Nov. 3, 2025). Also present were Rep. Indy Oaminal and Russian Ekaterina Smirnova. (Contributed photo)
Filipina chess prodigy Ruelle Canino pulled off a stunning upset after defeating sixth seed Woman International Master Bach Ngoc Thuy of Vietnam in the second round of the 6th ASEAN Individual Chess Championships–Gov. Henry Oaminal Cup held Tuesday at the Misamis Occidental Resort and Aquamarine Park.
The 17-year-old Woman FIDE Master from Cagayan de Oro showcased her tactical brilliance and composure to secure the victory, earning a share of the lead alongside Indian IM V. S. Raahul, Vietnamese GM Tran Tuan Minh, and Indonesian FM Fabian Glen Mariano in the nine-round tournament. The eventual winner of the women’s division will earn an outright Woman Grandmaster (WGM) title.
Canino, the reigning Philippine national champion, now braces for a tough third-round matchup against Vietnamese WGM Hoang Thi Bao Tram, who defeated Filipino contender Mhage Sebastian in the previous round.
Also scoring second-round wins were Russian IM Evgenija Ovod over Filipina Jemaicah Mendoza, Mongolian WFM Batpelden Buyankhishig over Vietnamese WIM Nguyen Hong Anh, Vietnamese WGM Nguyen Thi Mai Hung over Russian IM Ekaterina Smirnova, and Vietnamese WGM Nguyen Thi Thanh An over Filipino Joyce Rianna Rueda.
In the open division, Filipino GM John Paul Gomez outplayed compatriot IM Rolando Nolte to move into joint second place with 1.5 points, joining IMs Michael Concio Jr., Kim Steven Yap, Jem Garcia, Pau Beramina, Thyrone James Tabernilla, Mongolian IM Mykhdalai Amilal, Vietnamese IM Dang Hoang Son, and Indian IM Kamotra Soham.
