ASEAN / JAPFA CHESS: MENDOZA CONTINUES TO IMPRESS IN INDONESIA
By Eddie Alinea
PhilBoxing.com
Sat, 26 Dec 2015
Seventeen-year-old Filipino Woman Fide Master Shania Mendoza continued her impressive showing by winning and drawing her second and third round assignments to find herself sharing the top spot with her more illustrious rivals in the on-going Third ASEAN/JAPFA Chess Championships in Jakarta in Indonesia.
Displaying patience and ability to withstand enormous pressure, the reigning World Schools Under 17-year-old champion, surprised Vietnamese Woman International Master and Olympian Thi Nhu Huang by turning their seemingly drawish Chigorin Defense encounter to a morale-boosting victory in the second round Wednesday.
Mendoza played methodical throughout in what forced Huang to a crucial misplay in the 45th move when the Vietnamese ventured on a King to d4, allowing the Filipina to push her knight pawn to pass on the way to earning 2.5 points after three rounds in a tie with her WIM compatriot Janelle Me Frayna and Woman Grandmaster Thi Mi Hung Nguyen, also of Vietnam.
Then, on Christmas eve Thursday, Mendoza, herself a WIM candidate a second year sophomore at the Far Eastern University, drew with Nur Najiha Hisham Azman to preserve her unblemish record.
Frayna, for her part, drew with the lone WGM entry Hung Thursday in a fittimg follow up to her 39-move Ruy Lopez Nerin Variation triumph over indonesian Amanda Suci Fitriyan. The 19-year-old Frayna, who is hopeful to earn a third WGM norm, and Hung halved point in 48 moves of Slav Defense.
Mendoza's and Frayna's WIM teammate Bernette Galas was not that lucky though. After demolishing Shanti Nur Abidah of Indonesia in 60 moves of Center Counter Defense a day before, Galas, a third year management student at La Salle missed a chance to deal Hung her first loss, bowing to the Vietnamese WGM Hung Thursday.
In men's division play, meanwhie, 20 year old International Master Jan Emmanuel Garcia, likewise, remained in contention for the title and the much coveted Grandmaster Norm witn 2.0 points following a pair of draws -- FM Anh Khoi Nguyen of Vietnam in 43 moves Fianchetto variation King's Indian Defence and IM Cuhendi Winshand Sean of Indonesia in 23 moves English opening respectively.
Sixteen-year-old IM Paulo Bersamina and Veteran GM Darwin Laylo, likewise, maintained their chances.
Bersamina drew his game in round 2 against non titled player Theolifus Taher Yoseph of Indonesia in 31 moves Sicilian Defence Rossolimo Variation then drew in round 3 with IM Lutfi Muhammad Ali in 22 moves Center Counter after he perpetual Checked his rival.
Laylo also settled for a truce IM Van Huy Nguyen of Vietnam in 42 moves Grunfeld Defence and another 45 moves Grundeld Defence to FM Anh Khoi Nguyen.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Eddie Alinea.
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