Frayna shares lead in Netherlands; Laylo finishes 2nd in Indonesia

MANILA, Philippines – Janelle Mae Frayna stunned Dutch International Master Koen Leenhouts in 44 moves of an English Opening to seize a share of the lead after five rounds of the 21st Hogeschool Zeeland Open 2017 in Vlissingen, the Netherlands Tuesday night.

The 21-year-old Frayna went on attack mode as early as the opening when the Philippines’ first and only Woman Grandmaster engaged Leenhouts into a tactical piece exchanges before emerging with a queen and a bishop against the latter’s pair of rooks and central passed pawn.

However, it left Leenhouts with an exposed king that Frayna capitalized on as she won the former’s rook for her bishop in the endgame to extract the full point.

Frayna thus zoomed to the top with 4.5 points alongside six others, including Russian GM Landa Konstantin whom the Filipina will play as black in the sixth round at press time.

Also at the helm were Venezuelan GM Eduard Iturrizaga Bonelli, Dutch GMs Benjamin Bok, Jorden Van Foreest and Roeland Pruijjsers and Indian IM R Praggnanandhaa.

Interestingly, GM Jayson Gonzales, Frayna’s coach and trainer, was half a point behind with four points.

Frayna also defeated Bas Roelen, Gert Van Rij, Nico Swins and drew with IM Lucas Van Foreest.

Meanwhile, GM Darwin Laylo finished second behind Indonesian FIDE Master Rudin Hamdani in the FIDE International Chess Tournament Jaksa Agung Cup in Indonesia.

Laylo, who beat GM Susanto Megaranto in the last round, finished with nine points in 11 rounds, half a point behind Hamdani.

The Marikina City native, however, actually ended up in a three-way tie on top after Hamdani and Hartoyo Suyud drew their match.

For unknown reasons, organizers disallowed the draw and ordered Hamdani and Suyud to play a blitz game that the former won, leaving Laylo to settle for a second place finish.

This was Frayna’s fourth tournament since she left the country to embark on an ambitious European campaign where the former Far Eastern U standout is hoping to gain enough rating points to barge into the world’s women’s top 10 and emerge as the country’s first and only woman GM.

Frayna is coming off a solid 13th place finish in the Women’s International Open in Erfurt, Germany just a few days back.

Frayna’s European campaign is being bankrolled by Philippine Sports Commission chair William “Butch” Ramirez with backing from the National Chess Federation of the Philippines, FEU’s Aurelio Montinola, The STAR’s Miguel Belmonte and Edward Go, Senate President Koko Pimentel and Bobby Ang.