Frayna wins, lands in top 20 in Spain

MANILA, Philippines — Woman Grandmaster Janelle Mae Frayna downed Swedish Andreas Persson to barge into the top 20 after the eighth and penultimate round of the XX Obert Internacional Sant Marti 2018 in Barcelona, Spain Friday night.

Frayna, 22, improved to a share of 19th spot with five points, hoping to finish her campaign on a bright note against Cuban International Master Alexey Fernandez Cardoso in the ninth and final round being played at press time.

It was Frayna’s fourth victory with two draws against two defeats.

Frayna, whose trip here is backed by the Philippine Sports Commission and The Philippine STAR president and chief executive officer Miguel Belmonte, is on her second of a six-tournament swing and  is using the 51-day European campaign with an eye of clinching the men’s GM title.

The Far Eastern U cum laude is also preparing to spearhead the country’s women’s team in the World Chess Olympiad in September in Batumi, Georgia.

International Master John Marvin Miciano and their coach GM Jayson Gonzales have accompanied Frayna in her campaign.

Miciano and Gonzales also have five points.

Miciano, 17, fell to Indian FIDE Master Guha Mitrabha while Gonzales, 49, bested David Davytan of Armenia.