A slew of Filipino aspirants chase Grandmaster and Woman Grandmaster titles as the Philippines hosts the 7th ASEAN Individual Chess Championships from November 2-10 at the AMORAP in Sinacaban, Misamis Occidental.
International Masters Jem Garcia, Pau Bersamina, Michael Concio, Jr., MJ Bacojo and Christian Gian Karlo Arca and FIDE Master Alekhine Nouri are the host country’s best bets to emerge as its newest GM after Daniel Quizon became one two years ago in the Budapest Olympiad.
Ruelle Canino, along with fellow WIM Jan Jodilyn Fronda, WFM Shania Mae Mendoza and Olympiad teammate Mhage Sebastian, should be at the forefront at snaring that WGM title and becoming the second one to achieve such feat after Janelle Mae Frayna emerged as one nine years ago.
Interestingly, the 18-year-old Canino snared the WIM title in last year’s edition of the same tournament also in Misamis Occidental where she finished second behind eventual winner International Master Evgenija Ovod of Russia.
This time, Canino is eyeing the higher reward – the WGM title – in a strong field spearheaded by a battery of WGMs in Frayna, Nguyen Thi Mai Hung and Hoang Thi Bao Tram of Vietnam, and Altan-Ulzii Enkhtuul of Mongolia, plus Ovod, who will be back to defend her crown.
Apart from this, the NCFP is also hosting two more international tournaments – the Misamis Occidental Philippine International Championship scheduled November 10-17 also at the AMORAP, and the AQ Prime International Open Chess Championship slated November 17-25 in Quezon City.
GM, WGM, IM and WIM norms and direct FM and WFM titles are at stake in those two events.