BUDAPEST, Hungary — Former national chess team mainstay Girme Fontanilla has never really taken her eyes away from chess despite being retired from the sport for decades now.
But when she saw this young girl turning heads in the 45th FIDE Chess Olympiad that concluded Sunday at the BOK Sports Hall in the Hungarian capital, she was just blown away.
“She’s a great talent,” said the 74-year-old Ms. Fontanilla during a recent conversation with veteran sports scribe Ignacio Dee referring to the 16-year-old wonder Ruelle Canino.
Of course, Ms. Fontanilla, a member of that iconic team that owns the best finish by the national women’s squad in Olympiad history, 22nd in 1988 in Thessaloniki, Greece, would know greatness when she sees one.
Truly, Ms. Canino was nothing short of electric on her debut as she scored six points out of a possible eight with five wins, including two against formidable Woman Grandmasters Claudia Amura of Argentina and Carmen Voicu-Jagodzinsky of Romania, and five draws against a single loss.
Thanks to her mind-blowing performance, Ms. Canino has gained 102 whopping points to jump from a pedestrian 2004 to a WIM level 2260, which included ratings she earned from playing well in Europe the month before.
If she had played one more time, she would have earned a Woman International Master norm.
Also accounting himself well on his debut was Daniel Quizon, who scored 5.5 points out of nine while claiming the Grandmaster title along the way.
“Given more experience and international exposure, those two should go places. We’re also seeing two promising young players who could be fixtures of our national teams for a very long time,” said national women’s coach and NCFP chief executive officer GM Jayson Gonzales.
The team was sponsored by the Philippine Sports Commission and backed by NCFP chief Butch Pichay, delegation head Atty. Ruel Canobas, women’s team manager Atty. Nikki de Vega and Far Eastern U chair Gigi Montinola. — Joey Villar