PINOY IM SALVADOR TIES FOR 2ND TO 4TH SPOTS IN ITALY CHESS; FELL SHORT GM TITLE

7.5 points— GM Karen Movsziszian (Armenia)
6.5 points—IM Roland Salvador (PHILIPPINES), GM Yuri Solodovnichenko (Ukraine), IM Lawrence Trent (England)
6.0 points—GM Alexei Barsov (Uzbekistan), IM Malkhaz Sulashvili (Georgia)

FILIPINO International Master Roland Salvador (2464) settled for a draw with eventual champion and second seed GM Karen Movsziszian (2558) of Armenia in the ninth and final round to finish in a tie for 2nd to 4th placers at the conclusion of 29 E. Crespi 2008 Magistrale in Milan, Italy, yesterday.
Salvador, a former Rizal Technological University (RTU) Mandaluyong Campus stand-out notch 6.5 points, the same output of top seed GM Yuri Solodovnichenko (2591) of Ukraine, and IM Lawrence Trent (2470) of England in this 45 player’s field.

However, Salvador fell short to earned his third and final GM norm with a total performance rating (TPR) of 2543. A win his match to Movsziszian enroute him to be the country’s 11th grandmasters.
Salvador is eyeing to join the country’s elite GM circle which includes Eugene Torre, the late Rosendo Balinas, Rogelio “Joey” Antonio Jr., Buenaventura “Bong” Villamayor, Nelson Mariano II, Mark Paragua, Wesley So, Darwin Laylo, Jayson Gonzales and John Paul Gomez.

BY: MARLON BERNARDINO.