Frayna resumes European chess tour

MANILA, Philippines -  Janelle Mae Frayna hopes to keep the momentum of her strong finish in the Women’s International Open in Germany as she competes in the 21st Hogeschool Zeeland International which got under way Saturday in Vlissingen, The Netherlands.

Frayna, 21, swept her last two matches in Erfurt, beating Germans Nguyen Ha Tranh and Tiffany Kinzel to finish tied for 11th place with 5.5 points in the nine-round tournament. She, however, ended up at 13th after tiebreak.

But the country’s first Woman GM vowed to do better this week as she steps up European campaign in pursuit of world ranking points.

Frayna came out strong in her third tournament in her European campaign but stumbled and lost to fourth seed and WGM Evgeniya Doluhanova of Ukraine and German Linda Krumina in the sixth and seventh rounds, respectively.

Frayna came away with a victory over WGM Galina Strutinskaia of Russia and split the point with WGMs Joanna Majdan of Poland and Ilze Berzina of Latvia and Woman International Master Nino Khomeriki of Georgia to emerge among the early leaders. She also beat German Victoria Wagner of Germany in the opening round.

Frayna’s European campaign is sponsored by Phl Sports Commission chair Butch Ramirez and backed by the National Chess Federation of the Phl, FEU’s Aurelio Montinola, The Philippine STAR president/CEO Miguel G. Belmonte and Edward Go, Senate President Koko Pimentel and Bobby Ang.

Frayna had earlier posted six wins and eight draws against four defeats against all male players in two tournaments – the 19th Obert International Saint Marti and 43rd Open International D’Escacs Vila de Sitges in Spain last month.