MANILA – The Philippine women’s chess team closed their 45th FIDE Chess Olympiad campaign on a high note, sweeping Brazil 4-0 at the BOK Sports Hall in Budapest, Hungary, on Sunday.

The squad, led by Woman FIDE Master (WFM) Shania Mae Mendoza, Woman Grandmaster (WGM) Janelle Mae Frayna, Woman International Master (WIM) Jan Jodilyn Fronda, and Woman National Master (WNM) Ruelle Canino, delivered stellar performances in the 11th and final round. Their combined efforts secured them 14 points, tying for 22nd place with 14 other teams and landing them 24th overall after tiebreaks were applied.

This victory marked a milestone for Philippine chess, as the women’s team claimed the gold medal in Group B—an achievement that brought home the country’s first medal since 2006 when the team of Sheerie Joey Lomibao, Catherine Pereña, Sherily Cua, and Beverly Mendoza triumphed in Group C at the Turin edition.

The feat also surpasses the Philippines’ previous highest finish in the Olympiad, with the 1988 team of Girme Fontanilla, Mila Emperado, and Cristina Santos-Fidaer placing 22nd in Thessaloniki, Greece.

“This is a historic moment for Philippine chess, a legacy that will endure for generations,” said Grandmaster Jayson Gonzales, the national women’s coach. He expressed gratitude to the team’s supporters, including delegation head Atty. Ruel Canobas, team manager Atty. Nikki de Vega, and Far Eastern University chair Aurelio Montinola III.

In addition to winning the Group B gold, the Philippine women’s team significantly improved on their 36th-place finish from the 2022 Olympiad in Chennai, India.

All five players recorded rating gains. The standout was Canino, a 16-year-old from Cagayan de Oro, who earned 102 rating points by scoring six points in eight games on board four. Her new rating of 2260 reflects the progress she made in both the Olympiad and prior European tournaments.

Frayna, playing on board one, accumulated eight points from 11 games and added 27 rating points, while Mendoza, from Sta. Rosa, Laguna, secured 5.5 points out of 10, gaining 36.2 rating points as the top board player.

Fronda of Muntinlupa scored 6.5 points from 10 games, while Bernadette Galas contributed three points from five games, adding 8.8 rating points to her tally.

In the men’s division, the Philippines fell 1-3 to Hungary, with Julio Catalino Sadorra losing to Adam Kozak on board one, Daniel Quizon drawing with Tomas Banusz on board two, John Paul Gomez defeated by Peter Prohaszka on board three, and Jan Emmanuel Garcia splitting points with Gabor Papp on board four.

The men’s team, mentored by legendary Grandmaster Eugene Torre and including Paulo Bersamina, finished 59th with 12 points.

India emerged victorious in both the men’s and women’s divisions, claiming the Gaprindashvili Cup for the highest combined team score.

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