Apple Rubin faces ups and downs at ASEAN Age-Group C’ships

Apple Rubin relaxes before her chess game starts in the 22nd ASEAN+ Age-Group Chess Championships 2024 in Vientiane, Laos. | Photo Jeah Gacang

CEBU CITY, Philippines — Cebuana chess talent Apple Rubin experienced a mix of results on the third day of the 22nd ASEAN+ Age-Group Chess Championships 2024, held on Saturday, August 24, in Vientiane, Laos.

The 14-year-old from Toledo City secured a draw and suffered a defeat as she navigated her way through the tournament.

Rubin, who has faced four Vietnamese opponents thus far, squared off against Ha Trang Do in the third round and Nguyen Guang Hoang in the fourth.

READ: Chess: Apple Rubin of Cebu gets first win at ASEAN championship

Her performance led to a draw in the third round and a defeat in the fourth, positioning her at ninth place out of the competitors in the nine-round event.

Despite the challenges, Rubin improved her standing from 10th place after the second round to 9th place by the end of the fourth round.

READ: Toledo chess prodigy Apple Rubin vies for Laos int’l tilt

Fellow Filipina, Iana Angela Sotaridona, remains the highest-ranked among the country’s three representatives, holding the fourth spot with 3.0 points, while Anica Shey Dimatangihan fell from 11th to 12th place, with 1.0 points.

Rubin is still in contention to improve her rankings. As of this writing, she is engaged in the fifth round against Ngoc Linh Tram Tran of Vietnam, with both players holding 1.5 points each.

READ: Apple Rubin shines in national wood pushing tourneys in Dapitan

Meanwhile, Sotaridona faces Women’s Candidate Master (WCM) Le Xuan Hien Dang, also from Vietnam, while Dimatangihan competes against Vietnamese player Dao Nhat Minh.

With several rounds remaining, Rubin’s performance in the upcoming games will be crucial in her bid to have a convincing finish in her first international tournament outside the Philippines.