PH chessers cop 18 Asean age-group golds

THE PHILIPPINE team raked in 10 gold medals in the rapid event and added eight more in blitz play at the close of the 16th Asean+Age Group Chess Championships at Nanyang Technological University in Singapore recently.

Woman International Master Janelle Mae Frayna, flashing the form that gave her two GM norms in previous tournaments, tied for first with Woman Fide Master Antoinette San Pedro at 5.0 points each, while anchoring the girls Under-20 team, counting Jean Karen Enriquez’s 4.5 points, for the team gold.

Enriquez bounced back with the gold in blitz play (6.5 points) in a tie with Cherry Ann Mejia (6.5). WIM Bernadette Galas added 5.0 points for the team gold.

In the rapid event, the U-20 men’s team also collected three gold medals with IMs Emmanuel Jan Garcia and Paulo Bersamina tying for the top with 5.0 each, and Austin Jacob Literatus adding 4.0 for the team gold.

The team took the team gold in blitz play.

Fide Master Alekhine Nouri scored a nine-round sweep in the boys’ U-10.

Shania Mae Mendoza won the gold in the girls U-18, her second in a week.

Also in the rapid event, Rome Pangilinan scored six points for his second gold in the boys’ U-14. Pangilinan teamed up with Lee Roi Palma and Emmanuel Van Paler to add the boys’ U-14 gold medal in the blitz side.

In the boys’ U-16, John Merill Jacutina, Daryl Unix Samantila and Kyle Rhenzie Sevillano won the team golds in both rapid and blitz.

In seniors’ play, Edmundo Gatus scored 5.5 points to end up tied for the gold medal in the rapid event, then scored another gold alongside NM Alex Milagrosa in the blitz event.