In the 2006 Chess Olympiad in Turin, Italy we had a woman on our team and at that Olympiad I was asked a few times where our woman's team was. The only answer I could give was we didn't have one.

One of the newest members of our chess club is Maria Shiela Cancino (pictured above), who hails from the Philippines. We just call her Shiela. The Bermuda International Open that took place in February was Shiela's first big tournament on the island.

It was her father Bienvenido Cancino who sat her down along with her two brothers and two sisters to teach them all how to play chess. Just about the whole family plays chess except for her mother Pricilla who is Shiela's inspiration.

This inspiration led Shiela to become one of the leaders of a parish youth ministry group for more than six years ¿ a group which serves God through prayer meetings and other activities in the church.

For Shiela this made her week. She was only 11 years old when she won lots of trophies which were placed on display at the Nagkaisang Nayon Elementary School. Next it was on to Novaliches High School. After leaving there she left for the Colegio de San Juan de Letran.

This is where she received her BS in Accountancy and got a Certified Public Accountant Licence in October 2003.

Before she left the Philippines she worked with four companies, Abba Motors, Aqua Treatment Technology, Inc & M.S. Banaria Co. and Megaworld Corporation. Now in Bermuda, she is working at J.P. Morgan Hedge Fund Services Bermuda as a fund accounting analyst.

Perhaps that is why she is so good at playing chess! You'll always have to analyse your opponent and your position.

This week's game took place in last month's Bermuda International Open. It was in round 5 with Kennedy Simmons playing White and Cancino playing black.

As you can see in diagram 1, Kennedy used the Ruy Lopez opening ¿ one that is used by a lot of Grandmasters. However, the rook move that Simmons made in diagram 2 was of no use to him and this was his tenth move. Shiela also had two good bishop pins on him.

In diagram 3, Simmons couldn't move his queen to any of the three dark squares. This is just what he did, as you can see in diagram 4. And after the bishop captured the knight the pawn then took the knight fork check, attacking Simmons' queen. Simmons then resigned.

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 b5 5. Bb3 h6 6. d3 Nf6 7. Qe2 Bc5 8. 0-0 d6 9. Nc3 Bg4 10. Rd1 Nd4 11. Qd2 Bxf3 12. gxf3 Nxf3+