FOLLOWING their good showing in the 42nd Chess Olympiad, the women’s team will be given extra attention by the National Chess Federation of the Philippines.
Fact is, NCFP president Cong. Prospero Pichay intends to hire a foreign coach and send the players to international tournaments to hasten their development, particularly Janelle Mae Frayna, newly minted Woman Grandmaster and International Master owing to her noteworthy performance on board one.
Frayna scored seven out of a perfect 11 as the Philippines placed 34th among 140 teams in the distaff side ruled by China. It was a big leap for the Filipinos as they wound up 64th in the 2014 Olympiad held in Tromso, Norway.
Pichay is eyeing Hungarian GM Judith Polgar, regarded as the greatest woman chess player ever, to have a training session with the women’s team also composed of WIM Jan Jodilyn Fronda, Christy Lamiel Bernales, WIM Catherine Secopito and Woman Fide Master Shania Mae Mendoza. WIM Chardine Cheradee Camacho, who played board in Tromso, is also being considered for further training.
The men’s team, with GM Eugene Torre, scoring 10 out of 11, landed 39th among 180 teams in the Open division. Roy Luarca