Ruelle Canino onboards European chess tournaments

The Women’s Grandmaster title journey continues for chess prodigy Ruelle Canino after setting herself on board for a European trip as part of her preparations for the World Chess Olympiad in September.

The 16-year-old reigning champion of the Philippine National Women’s Chess Championships will be tested as she is expected to battle top woodpushers to boost her bid for Woman Grandmaster status.

The Far Eastern University standout will jumpstart her European campaign in the HZ University of Applied Sciences Chess Tournament slated August 3-10 in Vlissingen, the Netherlands.

She will then go to Germany for the Dortmund Open scheduled on August 10 to 18, followed by the Open Internacional d’escacs Sants-Ciutat de Barcelona on August 23 until September 1.

It will also serve as part of her preparation for the Asian Indoor and Martial Games booked this November in Thailand and the FIDE World Chess Olympiad set on September 10 to 23 in Budapest, Hungry.

In Vlissingen, Canino will join fellow national team mainstays Woman Grandmaster Janelle Mae Frayna and Woman International Master Jan Jodilyn Fronda, who left the country recently for a tournament in Switzerland.

The trip is funded by the Philippine Sports Commission and backed by the National Chess Federation of the Philippines (NCFP) and Philippine Olympic Committee.

The Philippine contingent will return to the country on September 3 then set to leave after a few days with the male woodpushers, coached by Grandmaster Eugene Torre, before they fly to Budapest where they will battle the world’s best.