Frayna absorbs 3rd loss in row

MANILA, Philippines - Janelle Mae Frayna continued her free fall as she lost to Dutch Eric Sparenberg after the eighth round of the 21st Hogeschool Zeeland Open 2017 in Vlissigen, The Netherlands Friday night.

It was the 21-year-old Frayna’s third straight defeat following heartbreaking setbacks to grandmasters Konstantin Landa of Russia and Attila Czebe of Hungary in the previous two rounds.

The country’s first Woman GM thus got stuck with 4.5 points, all coming in the first five rounds.

Frayna is using her European trip, which is bankrolled by Phl Sports Commission, National Chess Federation of the Phl, FEU’s Aurelio Montinola, The Philippine STAR’s Miguel Belmonte and Edward Go and backed by Senate President Koko Pimentel and Bobby Ang, to gain rating points and become the Phl’s first ever female GM.

Frayna’s coach, GM Jayson Gonzales downed Dutch Andries Mellema to move half a point off the pace.

Gonzales is now tied at eighth spot with six points, half a point behind a seven-player lead pack headed by top seed GM Eduard Itturrizaga Bonelli with 6.5 points apiece.