DAVAO CITY -- On track of another successful campaign, Cagayan de Oro’s Ruelle Canino on Friday broke away from the pack as she finally took the solo leadership after six rounds of the 19th ASEAN Age Group Chess Championships 10-under girls individual classical standards at the Royal Mandaya Hotel here.
The 10-year-old Canino, a grade five student of Kauswagan Central School, pulled a half-point lead with 5.5 points after defeating fellow teammate Mecel Angela Gadut in the sixth round.
Canino, a two-time Asean Age Group gold medalist in the classical standard event, outlasted Gadut in a double edged king-knight-pawn endgame.
“Experience maoy nakapadaug niya over Gadut,” said Johnnel Balquin, the overall coach of the Cagayan de Oro City delegation here.
Daren dela Cruz, who was Canino’s archrival in many national age group championships, occupied solo second at 5 points with a lone defeat at the hands of the Oro chesser.
Gadut shared the lead with Canino in the fifth round, but slid to solid third place with 4.5 points after her sixth round debacle.
Four Vietnamese chessers including seed no.1 Le Dang Bang Ngoc were trailing behind at joint fourth with four points apiece.
Vietnam’s top-rated player takes on Canino at the top board in round seven, still in progress as of press time.
Canino is the lone bet from the City of Golden Friendship that stand a good chance of finishing with a gold in the individual classical standard event going into the last three rounds.
Other Oro bets were all struggling in their own medal hunt after either draws or debacles stalled their way in the sixth round.
Ruelle’s older brother Ronald Canino was held to a draw by John Rhuiz Bravo in the fifth round of the 16-under boys.
He’s in joint fourth along with Bravo, Kurt John Placencia and Phu Quang Pham of Vietnam with four points each.
The country’s youngest Fide Master Alekhine Nouri is in a three-way tie for first with fellow FM and Vietnamese Pham Phu Vinh and Gal Brien Plasigue with 4.5 points apiece.
Ronald Canino takes on Plasique in round seven at board three.
Mary Joy Tan, on the other hand, drops at 10th place with 3.5 points from a joint third place after losing to Nguyen Vhu Tu Hien of Vietnam in round six of the 16-under girls.
David Rey Ancheta and Lorebina Carrasco II of Corpus Christi School virtually bowed out of contention after losing their respective sixth round matches.
“Rest day ugma (Saturday) then mag resume ang games on Sunday. Basin makabawi pa sa rapid and blitz events on Monday and Tuesday,” their parents said.