At the 45th FIDE Chess Olympiad, held at the BOK Sports Hall, the Philippine women’s chess team made an incredible comeback to win the gold medal in Group B. With two rounds remaining, the team was in 49th place and needed a flawless finish—which they achieved.
Shania Mendoza, Janelle Mae Frayna, Jodilyn Fronda, and Ruelle Canino defeated Brazil 4-0 in the final round on Sunday. After the tiebreak, the team’s victory placed them 24th overall, sharing 22nd place with 14 other teams. The 47th-seeded team triumphed in Group B, which comprised teams ranked 35th to 70th, ahead of Montenegro and Latvia.
This victory marked the Philippines’ first gold medal in Group B and their best result since placing 22nd in Thessaloniki, Greece, in 1988. The Philippines’ last gold medal was in Group C at the 2006 Turin tournament.
All team members gained rating points, with Ruelle Canino, who scored six out of eight points in her impressive debut, adding 102 points to her rating. At just 16 years old, Canino’s rating will rise from 2004 to 2260.
Grandmaster Jayson Gonzales, coach of the national women’s team, thanked the Philippine Sports Commission and other supporters, saying,“It will be a legacy in Philippine chess that will be remembered for a long time.”
While the women’s team celebrated, the Philippine men’s team faced tougher competition and finished 59th. India, meanwhile, claimed both the women’s and open gold medals and won the prestigious Gaprindashvili Cup, awarded for the highest combined team score.
