RUELLE Canino sustained her blistering streak as she smashed Kate Ordizo in a marathon 67-move result in their Queen’s Pawn clash and grabbed a share of the top spot after 10 rounds of the Philippine National Women’s Chess Championship in Malolos, Bulacan Sunday.
Canino, 18, now has 7.5 points, the same output of Janelle May Frayna, who was held to a 39-move standoff by Allaney Jia Doroy in this 16-player competition bankrolled by host City Mayor Christian Natividad and the PSC.
Jan Jodilyn Fronda, for her part, moved closer to the pacesetters following a 60-move triumph over Vic Derotes of a Pirc duel that propelled her to solo No. 3 with seven points.
With five rounds left in this event that hands three seats to this September’s World Chess Olympiad in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, there is no intent for Canino, Frayna and Fronda for slowing down.
Among the three, it was Canino’s stars that kept shinning brightly as she has been a rampage after scoring seven points in the last eight rounds.
The Cagayan de Oro native was slowed down by an opening round draw and a second-round defeat.
Bernadette Galas was thwarted in her attempt at a win after being held to a truce by Maria Lavandero in 76 moves of a Sicilian Defense.
She drops to solo No. 4 with 6.5 points.
