SEVILLANO BEATS GM SHABALOV: US CHESS CHAMPIONSHIP

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA—LONE Filipino invited player IM Enrico “Ikong” Sevillano made a big comeback yesterday after beating Grandmaster Alexander Shabalov after
39 oves of a Queen’s Gambit Accepted in Tuesday’s fifth 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 Sevilano, protegee of sportsman/ National Master Matias “Bombi” Aznar raise his total 2.5 points to climbed into a tie for 10th to 15th placers in the copmany of sixth round opponent Grandmaster Jaan Ehlvest.

Meanwhile, GM Varuzhan Akobian and last year’s champion GM Yury Shulman toppled their respective rivals to shared on top with 4.0 points apiece. Akobian crushed GM Ehlvest while Shulman demolished GM Joshua Friedel

On the other hand, GMs Hikaru Nakamura and Gata Kamky halved the point after 35 pushes of English Opening to create a four-way tie in third place along with GM Alexander Onischuk and IM Robert Hess with 3.5 points each..

BY: -MARLON BERNARDINO.