Prague: Filipino Nika Juris Nicolas finished second overall at the Prague Open 23rd International Chess Festival in Czech Republic on Friday.

According to Philippines News Agency, the 12-year-old from Pasig City achieved six wins, two draws, and one loss in the tournament for players with a FIDE rating of 2000 and below. Nicolas tied for No. 2 with Andreas Schindele of Germany, Frantisek Korenek and Petr Hrebicek of Czech Republic, and Giorgi Bekauri of Georgia, all scoring seven points each, but Nicolas secured the second spot through tiebreaks.

Spyridon Ilandzis of Greece emerged victorious with a score of 7.5, clinching the title. Nicolas showcased her skills by defeating Jian A Lee of South Korea (unrated) in the first round, Hrebicek (1820) in the second round, Andre Jaeger of Germany (1902) in the third, Tomas Pisar of Czech Republic (1924) in the fifth, Romans Tolmacevs of Latvia (1911) in the sixth, and Sebastian Lehner-Dittenberger of Austria (1779) in the seventh.

The Grade 7 student at Victory Christian International School in Pasig City drew with Schindele (1911) in the fourth round and Korenek (1932) in the ninth round, while her sole loss came against Ilandzis (1950) in the eighth round. Nicolas was also recognized as the best female player and claimed first place in the 1600-1699 rating category.

“We are very happy with the results. Her match against Spyridon Ilandzis of Greece was crucial. Overall, she had a good performance,” said Nicolas’ mother, Nikki de Vega. Woman Grandmaster Janelle Mae Frayna, one of Nicolas’ trainers along with GM Jayson Gonzales, expressed pride in her student, stating, “Nika is the most hardworking and determined student I ever handled. She truly deserves these awards.”

Nicolas recently won the 35th International Chess Festival in Krakow, Poland, two weeks ago and is set to compete at the Marienbad Open in Czech Republic next week.