WNM Frayna heads PACE summer chess clinic

BY: MARLON BERNARDINO

NO less than newly-minted Philippine Juniors Girls Chess Champion Jannelle Mae Frayna (in photo) of Legaspi City heads the list of cast when the Philippine Academy for Chess Excellence’s (PACE) chess clinic gets underway today, Friday, May 6, 9 am at the PACE headquarters in Project 6, Quezon City.

Backed up by Legaspi City mayor Geraldine Rosal, the incoming fourth year high school student of Far Eastern University-FERN, Quezon City, finished undefeated with six wins and three draws in the just ended 2011 National Junior Chess Championships last May 3 at the NCCC Mall in Davao City.

"Balik training ulit po ako sa PACE. Malapit na din kasi ang Asian Youth Chess Championships sa Subic bukod sa paghahanda na natin sa World Juniors sa India," said the soft-spoken Frayna, who will celebrating her 15th birthday on May 19.

PACE founding head olympian GM Jayson Gonzales had something to say to Frayna, " Nakikita ko kay (Janelle Mae) Frayna ang katuparan ng bansa natin na makapag produce ng kauna-unahang woman grandmaster (WGM) sa tulong ni NCFP president/chairman (Butch) Pichay," said Gonzales, grassroots development director of the National Chess Federation of the Philippines (NCFP) headed by it's president/ chairman Prospero "Butch" Pichay Jr.

Joining Frayna in the PACE chess clinic are 3-years-old Jose George Muyargas, 8-years-old Gerard Paul Bautista and 2011 National Age Group winner Mc Dominique Lagula.

Gonzales also inviting all the National Age Group winners, 12-years-old below to take part the summer chess clinic upon the instruction of Pichay as part of the Philippine Age group preparation in the international chess meet.

The tournament’s fee will be P83 per hour each level. The entire clinic will have a total of 24-hour sessions to be conducted in 4 consecutive days.

Aside from Gonzales, other PACE chess clinic instructor are Asia's First GM Eugene Torre, who is fresh from a runner-up finish in a chess tournament in Indonesia, International Masters Yves Ranola and Roland Nolte, and National Master Alex Milagrosa.

For inquiries, log-on to www. Philchessacademy.org or call 4737008/ 09237079834.