Severino draws with Yifan to finish 15th in Bangkok
Negrense Fide Master Sander Severino held his ground against women’s world champion Grand Master Huo Yifan to get away with a draw and finish in the top 15 of the 12th Bangkok Chess Club Open Tournament in Thailand.
His overall standing increased the international ELo rating 24 points and this is an excellent result, Negrense chess patron Tony Ivan Aguirre said.
Aguiree, along with the First Community Bank, Inc. bankrolled the participation of Severino and police officer Ernie Abanco in the Bangkok competition.
Abanco finished the tournament with 4.5 points and lost his last match against Fide Master Julien Lamore, while their team manger Marvin Ting, who played in the Challengers Section, landed tied for 4th to 6th place in the final standings
“Overall, they did a great performance and this will make us proud,” Aguirre said.
He also cited Severino for performing way above expectations, stressing that playing against three GMs in the tournament is not a simple feat.
Equally glad for the successful campaign of the team from Bacolod City in the tournament was Hugo Villanueva, whose family owns the First Community Bank.
“Congratulations to Sander and Ernie showed a great fighting chess spirit as he also held his ground against the best in his class. Congratulations to Marvin for work well done and to the whole team, have a safe trip going back home,” Villanueva said in an email sent to the DAILY STAR.
Aguirre and Villanueva are the force behind the 1st Negros Closed Individual Chess Championship that allowed Severino and Abanco to showcase their talent in chess.
Earlier, Aguirre said they are eyeing more international exposure for both Severino and Abanco.
After their stint in Bangkok, Aguirre hopes to secure a slot for the two players in a tournament in Europe or in the US.*NAB
Source: http://www.visayandailystar.com
What happened to Hou Yifan?
where is the game?