STAR supports Frayna fund drive for Euro stint
Woman Grandmaster Janelle Mae Frayna’s bid to compete in the European chess circuit received a big boost after The
Philippine STAR President/CEO Miguel Belmonte and board member Edward Go helped out in her fund drive with their donations.
Belmonte presented a check worth P134,000, including P50,000 from Go, to Frayna and her coach GM Jayson Gonzales yesterday at The STAR office in Port Area, Manila.
Gonzales said they would purchase a brand new laptop that can handle the latest chess programs to prepare the 21-year-old Far Eastern University standout for her stint in Europe starting June 12.
“We need these programs before we leave because we want to go to Europe prepared,” said Gonzales.
Frayna, who is doing simultaneous matches and chess clinics, hopes to play in six tournaments starting with the XIX Obert Internacional Sant Marti slated July 13-21 and the 43 Open Internacional de Sitges (July 22-30) in Barcelona, Spain.
She will then proceed to Germany for the International Women’s Open (July 31-Aug. 4), then return to Spain for the II Torneo Internacional Jugando con las Estrellas from Aug. 12-18 and then to Italy for the Scaccobratto-XXXVII International Chess Festival Conca Della Presonala (Aug. 19-27).
From Europe, Frayna will proceed to Malaysia for the 14th IGB Dato Arthur Tan Malaysian Open (Aug. 28-Sept. 4).
Frayna hopes she’ll receive more donations to help support her campaign.
“Hopefully, they would continue to support me because my goal is to rank among the top 10 players in the world,” said Frayna, currently the country’s highest ranked player with a rating of 2287.
Frayna owns the distinction as the country’s first WGM after a strong performance in last year’s Chess Olympiad in Baku, Azerbaijan and could also be a men’s International Master if she could reach a 2400 Elo rating plateau.