MANILA---Grandmaster (GM) Mark Paragua and Woman Grandmaster (WGM) Janelle Mae Frayna will compete in the 2023 FIDE World Cup in Baku, Azerbaijan scheduled from July 29 to August 25.
The New York, US based Paragua is making his 4th Men’s World Cup stint following qualifications in 2005, 2011, and 2013.
"I hope to do well in this event," said Paragua, the 2003 Vietnam Southeast Asian Games most bemedaled athlete who won three gold medals.
The Marilao, Bulacan native Paragua notched his best result in 2005 when he upset Armenian GM Sergei Movsesian but yielded to Russian GM Alexey Dreev in the second round.
Two hundred male players are competing, with the top 3 also advancing to the Candidates Tournament.
Meanwhile, the Philippines’ lone WGM Frayna is among the 103-woman field entered to the single round elimination tournament, which shall qualify the top 3 finishers to the 2024 Women’s Candidates.
Frayna, who made it to the World Cup after her 18th place finish in the 2022 World Chess Olympiad, aims to complete the 2400 rating requirement and become the first female International Master (IM) of the country.
This is Frayna’s second appearance at the World Cup after her first round loss to Vietnamese-Hungarian GM Hoang Than Trang in the 2021 edition.-Marlon Bernardino-
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