WOMAN Grandmaster-candidate Kylen Joy Mordido stopped teenage sensation Ruelle Canino’s upset rampage with a 34-move victory in an English Opening yesterday and seized a piece of the lead in the Philippine National Chess Championships dubbed “The Battle of Women’s Masters” at the City Hall of Malolos in Bulacan.
Mordido, who is said to have what it takes to follow the footstep of the country’s first and only WGM in Janelle Mae Frayna, was like a tigress on the prowl, giving up a pawn and, when the 15-year-old Cagayan de Oro lass bit, the Dasmarinas bet quickly pounced on her helpless prey to launch a vicious kingside attack.
When it was over, Mordido was a rook up and two moves away from checkmating the flustered Canino.
That massive win enabled Mordido to gain a piece of the lead with Canino, 2019 champion Jan Jodilyn Fronda who downed fellow Woman International Master Bernadette Galas in 63 moves of a Caro-Kann, and Woman FIDE Master Shania Mae Mendoza, a 42-move winner over Mhage Sebastian in a Sicilian duel.
WFM Cherry Ann Mejia failed to claim a share of the top spot after ending up with a marathon 72-move draw with WFM Allaney Jia Doroy in a King’s Indian Attack and settled for solo fifth with 3.5 points, half a point off the pace.
