International Master Daniel Quizon split the point with Woman Grandmaster Janelle Mae Frayna to stay on top after the 11th round of the Philippine National Chess Championships at the Marikina Community Convention Center.
The standoff kept the 19-year-old Quizon at the helm with eight points, half a point ahead of Frayna, GM John Paul Gomez and IM Jan Emmanuel Garcia, who have 7.5 points each, in this 13-round tourney presented by Marikina City Mayor Marcy Teodoro and Congresswoman Maan Teodoro.
Gomez halved the point with IM Paulo Bersamina while Garcia drew with GM Darwin Laylo.
Quizon is seeking his second national title since winning it three years ago and claiming the top purse worth P120,000 and one of the three slots to the national team seeing action in this September’s FIDE World Chess Olympiad in Budapest, Hungary.
It would also be special for Frayna if she makes it to the top three and claim an Olympiad slot — the first ever Filipina to play in the biennial event.
Frayna could go the extra mile and win it all, which will make her the first woman to rule the meet.
Standing in Frayna’s way are GM Joey Antonio and Samson Chiu Chin Lim III for the last two rounds.
This 14-player tourney is being backed by Marikina City, NCFP chairman president Prospero Pichay, Jr., POC president Abraham Tolentino, PSC chair Richard Bachmann, the Eugene Torre Chess Foundation and Pan de Amerikana’s Jundio Salvador.
