PINOY BARBOSA TIES 2ND IN NY CHESS TOURNEY; GO-GO SEVILLANO IN US CHESS CHAMPIONSHIP

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA—FILIPINO Oliver Barbosa held fellow International Master Alex Lenderman into a fighting draw in the fourth and final round to finished into a tie for 2nd to 3rd placers with the latter’s (Lenderman) on Thursday at the conclusion of ” Original 4 Rated Games Tonight” in New York, New York.

The Taytay, Rizal resident Barbosa, playing under the banner of Prospero “Butch” Pichay Jr., president of the National Chess Federation of the Philippines (NCFP) and Lenderman, both tallied 3.5 points apiece after four outings.

Sharing the limelight is former San Sebastian College bet Michael Adarlo who brought downed Aaaron Landesman to landed at 4th placers along with five others in the group of 3.0 pointers that includes Oliver Chernin, Michael Hehir, Lawrence Tamarkin, Daniel Rohde and Linda Diaz.

Former US Junior champion Marc Tyler Arnold bested IM Jay Bonin to clear first place with perfect 4.0 points for the championships trophy.

In the on-going US Chess Open in Missouri, Lone Filipino invited player IM Enrico “Ikong” Sevillano gunning his GM norm going to the eight round on Saturday against IM Ray Robson.

The Cebuano native Sevillano, who upset GM Gregory Kaidanov in the Thursday’s seventh round is eyeing to follow the foot-step of newly-minted GM Joseph Sanchez, also from Cebu.

The Tehachapi, California based Sevillano will playing the disadvantageous black pieces against Robson, who is now tied at 7th to 11th placers in the company of GMs Joel Benjamin, Jaan Ehlvest, Joshua Friedel and IM MIchael Brooks with 4.0 points each.

BY: MARLON BERNARDINO

Individual Standings after round 7:
5.0 points—GM Gata Kamsky, GM Hikaru Nakamura, GM Alexander Onischuk, IM Robert Hess
4.5 points—GM Yury Shulman, GM Varuzhan Akobian
4.0 points—IM ENRICO SEVILLANO, GM Joel Benjamin, GM Jaan Ehlvest, GM Joshua Friedel, IM MIchael Brooks