Apple Rubin during the 22nd ASEAN+ Age-Group Chess Championships 2024 in Vientiane, Lao. | Contributed photo
CEBU CITY, Philippines — Cebuana chess prodigy Apple Rubin capped her campaign at the 2024 Asian Girls Chess Championship in Tagaytay City with a modest 16th-place finish in the junior girls’ rapid category.
The 14-year-old top female wood pusher from Toledo City earned 4.0 points after nine rounds in this prestigious tournament, which she participated in for the first time.
Rubin was one of four Filipinas representing the country in this major international chess event.
This marked her second international outing, following a stellar performance at the 22nd ASEAN+ Age-Group Chess Championships 2024 in Vientiane, Laos, where she claimed a gold medal in the blitz category.
Competing against some of the strongest junior players in Asia, including titled opponents, Rubin faced formidable challenges.
Despite the tough competition, she demonstrated resilience, defeating higher-ranked players such as Vietnam’s Hoang Tu Linh Luong, Taiwan’s Pin-I Chen, Indonesia’s Dhanashree Khairmode, and another Taiwanese player, Jie-Xin Lu.
Among the Filipino participants, Jemaicah Yap Mendoza emerged as the highest finisher in the junior girls’ rapid category, placing 10th with 5.0 points, followed by Elle Castronuevo, who also scored 5.0 points.
The tournament was dominated by Women’s International Master (WIM) Anna Shukman of Russia, who finished with a near-perfect score of 8.0 points to claim the championship.
Though Rubin faced a setback in the rapid event, she still has a chance to make her mark as she continues her participation in the nine-round standard competition. Currently, Rubin is ranked 18th with 1.5 points after five rounds.