Chess player Ruelle Canino (Contributed photo)
Ruelle Canino outlasted Kate Ordizo in a tense 67-move Queen’s Pawn duel to seize a share of the lead after 10 absorbing rounds of the Philippine National Women’s Chess Championship in Malolos, Bulacan on Sunday.
The 18-year-old pride of Cagayan de Oro displayed patience and precision in a marathon encounter that tested endurance as much as calculation. With the victory, Canino climbed to 7.5 points, tying Janelle Mae Frayna at the top of the 16-player field.
Frayna, the country’s first woman Grandmaster, settled for a draw against Allaney Jia Doroy to remain alongside Canino in the standings. What makes Canino’s surge even more impressive is the timing: after opening the tournament with a draw and suffering a second-round loss, she rebounded emphatically, scoring seven points in her last eight games to vault into title contention.
The race remains tight heading into the final stretch.
Jan Jodilyn Fronda kept herself within striking distance after defeating Vic Derotes in 60 moves of a sharp Pirc Defense, moving into solo third with seven points. Bernadette Galas sits in fourth place with 6.5 points following a hard-fought 76-move draw against Maria Lavandero in a complex Sicilian Defense battle.
With every round growing heavier in consequence, the stakes could not be higher. The top three finishers will earn the right to represent the Philippines at the World Chess Olympiad in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, this September — a coveted spot on the global stage.
As the championship heads toward its climax, the board has become a battlefield of nerves, resilience, and ambition — and Canino has firmly placed herself at the heart of the fight.