CHESS WONDER BOOSTS WGM BID

Filipina teenage wonder Ruelle Canino drew with Russian Evgenija Ovod of to keep her title and Woman Grandmaster bids alive after the eighth and penultimate round of the 6th ASEAN Individual Chess Championships-Gov. Henry Oaminal Cup at the Asenso Misamis Occidental Resort and Aquamarine Park in Ozamiz on Friday, Nov. 7.

- By KRISTEL SATUMBAGA

Playing the black pieces, the 17-year-old Woman FIDE Master from Cagayan de Oro needed 33 moves of a Sicilian to avert a defeat after being threatened checkmate.

That kept the reigning national champion and Olympiad veteran at second alongside top-seeded Russian WFM Anna Zhurova with six points apiece, half a point behind Ovod, who has 6.5 points.