00:00Hindi lang puro checkmate at seryosong laban ang mundo niya.
00:04Off the board, may light at fun side rin ang ating Pinay Grandmaster.
00:09Makayipagkulitan kay Women Grandmaster Janelle May Freyna sa Profiles.
00:14Panorin natin ito.
00:25Every jersey has its own story.
00:27Kaya naman, are you ready to hear what's the tip?
00:31Samahan niyo kong alamin ang storya ng inyong idol outside the game.
00:35Ako si Jamay Caballaca at ito ang Profiles.
00:59What's up teammates? Welcome to another episode of Profiles.
01:03Ngayon ay makakasama natin ang Philippines' first ever woman grandmaster.
01:08Walang iba kundi si Janelle May Freyna.
01:11Hello Janelle!
01:12Hello!
01:13Kamusta ka naman ngayon?
01:14Welcome to Profiles.
01:17Thank you po sa pag-invite sa akin.
01:19First, woman grandmaster.
01:22And you are the only woman grandmaster so far in the Philippines.
01:27What's your initial reaction when you get the title?
01:29Way back in 2016 ba?
01:31I get this type of question a lot since getting the title.
01:36And sa totoo lang, well happy naman siyempre.
01:39Pero ako always looking forward sa next generation.
01:43Especially marami ng mga malalakas na players din ngayon.
01:46Mga young and very talented female players natin.
01:51And I'm sure it's just a matter of time before dumating yung ating next woman grandmaster.
01:57Pero recently lang mo nitong February, naging busy ka?
02:02And you secured your 7th World Olympiad.
02:05Kung sa naman yung ano mo dyan, campaign?
02:08You mean I qualified for the World Championship?
02:10Yeah, you qualified for the World Championship.
02:12Yes, when I won the Philippine Women's Chess Championships.
02:172026 Philippine Women's Chess Championships.
02:20And it's actually my 4th time winning that tournament.
02:25Siyempre masaya naman talaga kasi lahat naman ng players.
02:29Especially when you're a serious player.
02:31Gusto mong umabot sa World Chess Olympiad.
02:33And siguro dati, nung unang-una akong nag-qualify,
02:40yung happiness ko ibang level.
02:41Kasi first time yun.
02:43Eh ngayon medyo...
02:44Kailan ba yung first time?
02:45I was 15 turning 16 years old yung time na yun.
02:50Now you are 20 plus.
02:52I'm kinda old now.
02:5420 plus secret.
02:56Okay.
02:56Ako naman, always ready to, you know, play for our country, for our flag.
03:02So happy ako maka-qualify and be of service of the Filipino people.
03:05Yes.
03:07Laging para sa Pilipinas, no?
03:09Pero marahin ka nang napatunayan sa mundo ng chess.
03:12Pero syempre, gusto ka pa namin mas makilala dito sa profiles.
03:16Meron kami nakahandang mga fun questions lang about your life and about yourself.
03:21Ready ka na ba, Janelle?
03:23Basta kaya kong sagutin.
03:24Basta kaya mong sagutin.
03:25Kaya-kaya mo ito.
03:25Okay, our first question.
03:28What's the first thing you do in the morning when you wake up?
03:31Ano ba ang ginagawang morning routine ng isang WGM?
03:36Well, siguro I'm guilty of checking my phone.
03:40I mean, baka 80% ng mga tao ganun ginagawa nila.
03:44You check your phone first.
03:46Baka may nakamiss sa akin.
03:49Sino bang nakakamiss kay Janelle?
03:52Charisse.
03:52Okay, next.
03:54Sa real life, fast decision maker ka ba or overthinker?
03:59Pwede bang in between.
04:02Maybe overthinker.
04:03Sa totoo alam.
04:03Overthinker?
04:04Before I make a decision, especially kapag medyo mabigat yung decision, I try to analyze it.
04:11Uy, parang chess.
04:11Wow, parang chess.
04:13If there are some consequences or what.
04:15Pero sa chess, di ba kailangan?
04:16It can be good and also be bad, you know?
04:19Magandang nag-iisip ka, but pag sobrang tagal naman,
04:22you might miss some opportunities, so.
04:24Pero sa paglalaw ng chess, di ba kailangan?
04:26Mabilis kang mag-iisip?
04:27Well, may iba-ibang time control din sa chess, eh.
04:30So, there's this blitz.
04:32You call it blitz yung mabilisan.
04:33And then, there's this standard game, yung almost 4 or 5 hours natatapos.
04:39So, it depends on the situation also.
04:40So, maybe, kung, kunwari, it requires for me to decide immediately, well, I can do it.
04:47Pero kung mabigat masyado, then you should use our time.
04:51Pero dumaitanong ako, naniniwala ka ba na ang sports na chess is para sa matatalino lang?
04:58So, yun yung kasi lagi nilang sinasabi.
05:00Sabi ko, ha?
05:01Pang matatalino lang pala ang chess, so hindi lahat pwede mag-chess, ganon.
05:06Kailangan ko sabihin yes para magmukha kong matalino.
05:10But, to be honest, I think chess is more of pattern recognition.
05:14And then, just like any other sports, if you continue on training, paulit-ulit yung practice mo,
05:20the probability of you remembering the patterns and the tactics and all that ay tumataas.
05:26So, syempre, gagaling ka talaga.
05:29And at one point, you're gonna reach your goal, which is, for most serious players, gusto nila achieve a master
05:35title.
05:36And the very end of it, siguro maging grandmaster din.
05:38So, siguro, let's say yes and no.
05:43Kasi, syempre, kailangan may angking ka rin galing, may talino ka na, may likas ka rin talino.
05:50But at the same time, you hone your talent, you hone your knowledge.
05:53Paulit-ulit na training pa rin.
05:55Yes.
05:56Next question, what's your dream job noong bata ka pa?
06:01Oh, I get this a lot, sa totoo lang.
06:04Lalo nung kakagraduate ko lang nung college.
06:08Anong course nung college?
06:10So, may graduate of Bachelor of Science in Psychology.
06:15Oh, Psychology.
06:18Medyo conflicted ako for some time.
06:21Lalo nung kakraduate ako because I felt like I wanna try other things, hindi lang chess.
06:27Parang, I think that's normal for somebody na bata ka pa at that time, gusto mong mag-explore ng buhay.
06:35But in the end, nangibabaw yung pagmamahal ko sa chess.
06:39And, uh, maybe this is my destiny na mapunta sa chess and also to mentor other players.
06:48Anong pinaka-random na bagay sa bag mo during tournament?
06:52Um, reveal it.
06:55Well, I tell you this, sa totoo lang, every tournament, di na ako masyado nagtadala ng bag kasi we have
07:01this what we call fair play rules na parang hindi ka masyado pwede magdala ng mga gamit.
07:06Kasi, you know, chess, just for some information ng ibang mga nanonood sa atin, we're very, uh, parabang sa technology,
07:15may mga engines kami tinatawag that could assist in, hindi naman natin gusto mangyari, but cheating.
07:21So, kumbaga.
07:22So, maraming check kasi niyan, eh. May mga electrical whatever na inano sa katawan mo.
07:29So, for me to avert all those kind of troubles, di na ako nagdadala ng bag.
07:33So, just myself and maybe yung, kasi everything, lalo na kung mga international tournament, lahat naman nandiyan na, eh.
07:41So, I just bring my pen and myself.
07:43Oh, pen and yourself lang palang.
07:46Okay, next. Anong pinaka-impulsive purchase mo recently?
07:50Oh, uh, honestly, sa totoo lang. I'm a very simple person.
07:55I don't buy too much, um, luxuries in all that.
07:59Really?
08:00Uh, well, uh, I'm not sure if that's a bad thing.
08:04Side of me, that even if I win certain amount of money or what, I don't really buy a lot.
08:10Maybe, sa akin, enough na just to eat out and be with family.
08:14So, that's the way how you treat yourself?
08:18Yeah, I mean, or maybe mag-Netflix sa gabi.
08:20Tanda ka na talaga, eh.
08:22Just to chill and, you know, maybe mag-milk tea dyan.
08:26Or, you know, spend some time with family and some friends. That's it.
08:29Kung bibigyan ka ng one week, no chess allowed, saang lugar ka pupunta?
08:35Hmm, one week, no chess. I don't know.
08:40Wait lang, kaya mo bang hindi mag-chess ng one week?
08:43Kaya naman.
08:44Um, recently, I'll share this.
08:48Medyo nag-li-li-chess ako.
08:50If you're aware of li-chess, yung para siyang, uh, sa internet or sa, parang online chess.
08:57And I do it para lang ma...
09:00Pag gusto kong ma-relax, parang ganoon, I do li-chess.
09:04Pero sometimes, kapag sunod-sunod yung talo mo, instead ma-relax, para lalo ka pang nai-stress.
09:10Pero, if walang chess sa loob ng isang linggo, I think I can do it.
09:14Kasi, ano naman, eh, we can always try to pursue other things na gagawin.
09:19So, we can do, read and...
09:21So, saan lugar ka nga gusto pumunta?
09:23Saan ko ba gusto pumunta?
09:26I don't know. It's not really about the place, eh.
09:29But the people around, it's also...
09:30Oh, I love that.
09:31It's not about the place.
09:33I don't know.
09:33It's the people.
09:34Pero, syempre, as a grandmaster, woman grandmaster, malami ka nang napuntahang mga bansan.
09:41Saan ba doon yung pinaka-favorite mo?
09:44I think yung pinaka...
09:48Pinaka maganda napuntahan ko at pinaka mahal.
09:51Pinaka mahal?
09:52I think that was in Switzerland.
09:54So, maganda kasi parang feel na feel mo na ganito pala yung nature.
09:58Pero, di ba, kanina kasi nabanggit mo na you're also coaching yung mga young food pushers, no?
10:05Paano mo nga nababalance yung, syempre tayo mo, as a player and as a mini-coach na rin?
10:12Mini-coach?
10:14Well, since pag tapos ko ng...
10:18Yun nga, sasabi ko sa inyo parang nung remadult ako ng college,
10:21I'm at this crossroad kung itutuloy ko pa ba yung chess o hindi.
10:26So, para sa akin, I wasn't really expecting na pupupunta sa coaching.
10:31But, of course, through the influence of GM Jason was also my mentor back when I was in college.
10:37Nakita ko yung pagiging coach or pagiging mentor ay isang...
10:42Hindi lang siya basta trabaho but also,
10:45it's a calling na meron kang ibang buhay na nababago din.
10:50Parang gusto ko maging part din ng journey nila.
10:52Kasi sa akin, parang naisip ko, nung ako ng bata ako, meron mga taong tumulong sa akin,
10:58meron mga, of course, sa GM, tinuruan ako mag-chess, mag-improve lalo.
11:03And why not do it to other people na parang ibinabalik ko lang sa kanila.
11:09Mataas yung naibibigay na, let's say, even financial gain, if you belong to the top.
11:16And kung magiging ganun palaging mindset ng mga players,
11:19I think lalakas na lalakas yung mga, yung level ng mga chess players natin dito.
11:25Gagaling sila ng gagaling.
11:27At the same time, mas maraming buhay yung mababago.
11:30And with that being said, what kind of legacy do you want to leave outside chess?
11:36You know, sabi ko nga, yung buhay ko parang halos umikot na talaga sa chess eh.
11:41People know me because I'm a woman grandmaster in chess.
11:45People know me because at one point yung anak nila naturuan ko or ganto ganyan.
11:50So, I don't know, sa akin lang, ang mindset ko lang, sana, ma-impart ko sa mga players is that
11:59sometimes yung may mga challenges na parang hirap na hirap tayo, ayaw natin,
12:05hirap tayong labanan or ano, pero ganun ang buhay eh.
12:12We can control some challenges in our lives.
12:17What we have to do is how we, parang, how we react on it.
12:20So, yun lang. Sana maging, ano, maging resilient lang yung mga tao.
12:25Hindi lang sa chess, kasi sasabi ko to as a person na marami rin mga kung ano-anong challenges sa
12:31buhay.
12:31So, dapat maging resilient tayo.
12:33And we, kung mangyari yung gusto natin, then thank you.
12:41Pero kung hindi, thank you pa rin. Parang good.
12:43Sabihin ang chest-tong twister na ito nang mabilis.
12:47Kantahin ang pabunito mong kanta.
12:49Ayan, na-request mo pala.
12:51Itong magandang baba.
12:54Okay na.
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