
Leading ladies 2
WORLD Chess Olympiad veteran WGM Janelle Mae Frayna remained as the country’s highest-rated female player based on the January list released by FIDE (International Chess Federation).
Frayna, who made history by becoming the country's first-ever WGM in 2016, had an ELO of 2201 to solidify her hold on the top spot among Filipina players.
Overall, the 22-year-old pride of Legazpi, Albay, who graduarted with honors at the Far Eastern University, is ranked No. 73rd in the list of both men and women players.
Three other players in the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC)-supported national women’s team to the Batumi Olympiad -- WFM Shania Mae Mendoza, WIM Jan Jodilyn Fronda and WIM Catherine Pereña-Secopito -- also made it to the Top 100 Filipino players in the FIDE list.
Mendoza is listed at No. 88 with ELO 2156, while Fronda is rated No. 81 with ELO 2147.
Pereña-Secopito is at No. 99 in the list with ELO 2127.
The other top Filipina players and their respective ratings are:
WIM Marie Antoinette San Diego, fifth (ELO 2080); WFM Allaney Jia Doroy, sixth (2070); WIM Bernadette Galas, seventh (2073); WIM Mikee Charlene Suede, eighth (2057); Christy Lamiel Bernales, ninth (ELO 2007) and Kylen Joy Mordido, 10th (ELO 1985).
The others in the list of the country’s Top 20 female players are Arvie Lozano (ELO 1982), Cherry Ann Mejia (ELO 1972), Beverly Mendoza ( ELO 1945), Jean Karen Enriquez ( ELO 1924), Jerlyn Mae San Diego ( ELO 1922), Mila Emperado ( ELO 1908), Michelle Yaon ( ELO 1905), five-time national women’s champion Cristine Rose Mariano-Wagman ( ELO 1885), Ella Grace Moulic ( ELO 1884) and Akiko Charmaine Suede (ELO 1868).
GM Hou Yifan of China is still the world’s No. 1 female player with an ELO of 2662, followed by compatriot GM Jun Wenjun with ELO 2575 and GM Anna Muzychuk of Ukraine with ELO 2569.
Completing the Top 5 are GM Kateryna Lagno of Russia and GM Humpy Koneru of India with ELO 2560 and 2541, respectively.
GM Mariya Muzychuk of Ukraine is sixth with ELO 2540, former women’s world champion GM Alexandra Kosteniuk of Russia is seventh with ELO 2537, GM Aleksandra Goryachkina of Russia is eighth with ELO 2518, GM Nana Dzagnidze of Georgia is ninth with ELO 253 and GM Tan Zhongyi of China is 10th with ELO 2502.