Jemaica Mendoza leads World Youth Chess Championships U14 girls' tilt

Filipina chess prodigy Jemaica Yap Mendoza is on the verge of winning the World Youth Championships Under-14 girls' title after regaining the solo lead in Albania.

Mendoza, a 14-year-old Woman FIDE Master from Sta. Rosa, Laguna, secured the lead by defeating Saadat Bashirli of Azerbaijan in the penultimate round.

Despite facing a challenging middle game and a dangerous pawn threat, Mendoza found a way to win when her opponent blundered a piece.

She now holds 8.5 points, leading by half a point over her closest rivals, Polina Smirnova and Rukiya Olimova.

Mendoza will face third seed Polina Smirnova in the final round, aiming to become the first Filipino to win this prestigious event.