SEVILLANO BEATS GM KAIDANOV; STAY COURSE ON GM NORM

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

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA—-FILIPINO International Master (IM) Enrico “Ikong” Sevillano defeated GM Gregory Kaidanov after 60 moves of a French Defense to strengthening his Grandmaster norm bid’s Thursday’s seventh round of the on-going 2009 US Chess Championship at the Chess Club and Scholastic Center of Saint Louis in Missouri, USA.

The Cebuano native Sevillano, a member of the Heritage Bible Christian Church was founded by Filipino Missionary Pastor John “Jojo” Culaniban here in Bakersfield raised his total 4.0 points on account of three wins, two draws and two loses after seven games of play and climbed into a tie for 7th to 11th placers that includes IM Ray Robson—his eight round opponent.

Meanwhile, Four players—GMs Gata Kamsky, Hikaru Nakamura, Alexander Onischuk and IM Robert Hess was tied at 1st to 4th placers with 5.0 points each after beating their respective rivals.

Kamsky hammered GM Joel Benjamin, Nakamura outplayed GM Varuzhan Akobian, Onischuk clobbered last year’s champion GM Yury Shulman and Hess waylaid GM Joshua Friedel.

BY: MARLON BERNARDINO