Manila---11-year-old Woman Fide Master (WFM) Megan Althea Obrero Paragua, niece of Grandmaster (GM) Mark Callano Paragua, grabbed solo lead in the World Cadet Rapid & Blitz Championships 2024 (Rapid Girls 12 division).
WFM Megan Althea, a 5th Grade Pupil of Columbia Grammar Preparatory School New York City, playing under the guidance of Sophia Rhode, won her fifth round match against Minh Chi Nguyen of Vietnam for her fifth straight win in as many rounds being held at the Grand Blue FAFA Resort in Durres, Albania on Friday.
WFM Megan Althea prevailed with the black pieces after 48 moves of Sicilian defense.
The daughter of Jan Vincent and Jennifer Obrero-Paragua will be playing Thai Hoang An Tong of Vietnam in Saturday's sixth round.
Tong led the group of four pointers that included Le Vy Tran of Vietnam, Khanzada Amanzhol of Kazakhstan, Ulyana Artamonova and Nika Venskaya of Russia.
Earlier, WFM Megan Althea defeated Nurhan Babanazarova of Turkmenistan (Round 1), Alicja Gruszecka of POland (Round 2), Amanzhol (Round 3), Tran (Round 4) before beating Nguyen.
WFM Megan Althea is eyeing to follow the footsteps of his uncle GM Mark, the 1998 Disneyland, Paris, France World Rapid Under-14 champion.
WFM Megan Althea is the number 1 player in the USA in the girls 11 and under and number 10 in the girls 19 under. The New York City resident WFM Megan Althea is also the top player of Empire Chess Training School of Chess in the USA.
According to her personal coach and father Jan Vincent, WFM Megan Althea is also scheduled to compete in the 2024 US Girls' Junior Championship in July in Saint Louis, Missouri, USA.
Meanwhile, National Master (NM) Nika Juris Nicolas of the Philippines bounced back after beating Eseniya Gulishyan of Russia in Round 5.
The 11-year-old NM Nika Juris, a student of Victory Christian International School, raised her total 2.5 points.
NM Nika Juris opened her campaign with a win against Thai Hoang An Tong of Vietnam and a draw with Michalina Popczynska of Poland in the second round. However, the pride of Pasig City NM Nika Juris suffered back-to-back losses to Mokhinur Xikmatkhonova of Uzbekistan and Aleksandra Kasperovich of Russia in Round 3 and Round 4, respectively.
She will play against Alicja Gruszecka of Poland in Saturday's sixth round. -Marlon Bernardino-
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