Sta. Rosa’s chess prodigy Jemaicah Mendoza makes Philippine history with World Youth bronze in Albania

From a quiet city in Laguna to the grand halls of global chess, 14-year-old Jemaicah Mendoza has made her mark on the world stage. 

The Sta. Rosa native and Woman FIDE Master delivered a performance to remember at the 2025 World Youth Chess Championships in Durrës, Albania, clinching the bronze medal in the Girls Under-14 division — a first for the Philippines in the category.

Guided by her coach and namesake, former UAAP MVP and Woman FIDE Master Shania Mae Mendoza, Jemaicah combined precision and poise in an 11-round test of endurance that gathered the brightest young minds from across the globe.

 With eight victories and one draw, she finished with 8.5 points — a total that cemented her spot on the podium and her place in Philippine chess history. 

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Jemaica Yap Mendoza, a 14-year-old Woman FIDE Master from Sta. Rosa, Laguna, is chasing a rare and historic feat in Philippine chess – to become world Under14 champion.https://t.co/wULfHsRwb3

— Philstar.com (@PhilstarNews) October 16, 2025

What set Mendoza’s run apart was her consistency. She broke into the top three by Round 4 and never looked back.

 Her final-round defeat to Russia’s Woman FIDE Master Polina Smirnova — who eventually took the gold with nine points — did little to diminish an otherwise brilliant campaign.

Before that, Mendoza had gone undefeated through seven rounds, her tactical sharpness earning admiration even among seasoned coaches. Her resilience shone brightest in Round 10, when she turned a losing position against Azerbaijan’s Woman Candidate Master Saadat Bashirli into a stunning win — a victory that propelled her back to the top of the standings heading into the final round.

Meanwhile, fellow Filipino Phil Martin Casiguran also battled valiantly in the Boys Under-14 category, finishing 55th overall in a field of 144 after tallying five wins and two draws — a respectable showing for the young international debutant.

The World Youth Chess Championship, long considered the gateway for future world champions, has seen legends like India’s current Classical World Champion Gukesh Dommaraju emerge from its ranks. 

For Mendoza, this bronze medal may be more than just hardware — it could be the opening move in a career that puts Philippine chess back on the global map.

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