WGM-candidate Kylen Joy Mordido defeated Ruelle Canino, while defending champion WIM Jan Jodilyn Fronda bested Francois Marie Magpily in a pair of exciting matches to share the lead after four rounds in the 2021 National Women’s Chess Championships at the Philippine Academy for Chess Excellence (PACE) in Mindanao Ave., Project 6, Quezon City.

Both Mordido, who drew her third-round match against WFM Shania Mae Mendoza, and Fronda, who split the point with Allaney Jia Doroy, have three points in the prestigious, 12-player tournament organized by the National Chess Federation of the Philippines (NCFP) in cooperation with the Chess Movement, Inc. and Barkadahan Para sa Bansa.

Top seed WGM Janelle Mae Frayna drew with WIM Marie Antoinette San Diego and won over Lexie Grace Hernandez to move into a three-way tie for third to fifth places with 2.5 points.

Also with the same score are San Diego, who also drew with WIM Bernadette Galas in the fourth round, and Mendoza, who also halved the point with Doroy.

In solo sixth place with two points is Rinoa Mariel Sadey, who outplayed debuting Marian Calimbo.

It was only the first game of Calimbo, whose flight from Cebu to Manila was delayed due to bad weather.

Calimbo’s first three matches against Doroy, Magpily and Galas were re-schedued to a later date.

Two players — Canino and Magpily — have 1.5 points.

Canino, who provided the biggest surprise in the tournament with her first-round upset win over Frayna, split the point with Hernandez before losing to Mordido.

Magpily defeated Sadey in the third round but lost to Fronda the following round.

At stake in the over-the-board tournament are trophies and a total of P135,000 in cash prizes, with the champion bringing home the lion’s share of P50,000.

. The runner-up will pocket P30,000 and trophy, while the third placer will receive P15,000 and trophy.

The fourth placer will get P10,000, the fifth placer P7,000, the sixth placer P5,000 and the seventh to 12th placers P3,000.

The tournament is also supported by the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO).

Standings after four rounds:

3 points — K. Mordido, J. Fronda
2.5 — J. Frayna, A. San Diego, S. Mendoza
2 — M Sadey
1.5 — R. Canino, F. Magpily
1 –A. Doroy, B. Galas
.5 — L. Hernandez
0 — M.Calimbo