Severino rules national rapid chess tiff

MANILA, Philippines – Asian Para Games champion Sander Severino stunned an elite field to capture the third Chooks-to-Go National Rapid Chess Championship on Saturday, January 25.

Severino, 34, downed the erstwhile leader, Sherwin Tiu, to rule the one-day, seven-round event with 6.5 points.

Tiu finished tied from 2nd to 4th with many-time national champion Joey Antonio and 2018 Olympiad qualifier Mari Joseph Turqueza with 6 points.

Tied from 5th to 11th with 5.5 points were the country’s lone woman grandmaster Janelle Mae Frayna, Daniel Quizon, Jan Emmanuel Garcia, Paulo Bersamina, Ronald Dableo, Nelson Mariano III, and Jacob Literatus,

Severino said his climb to 1st place began in Round 4 when he beat former national women’s champion Bernadette Galas, Frayna, rapid specialist Jerry Arreque, and then Tiu.

James Infiesto, coach of Severino, made it a double for the Para Games team by winning the executive division.

This was a rousing comeback for Severino, who finished below 50% in his first national championship last November 2019.

The Para Games team has been quartered at the Philsports Arena since late last year for the ASEAN Para Games, which was moved to March.

Oscar Joseph Cantela of General Trias, Cavite created a stir by winning the kids’ division ahead of favorites Al Basher Buto and Antonella Berthe Racasa.

Eric Labog Jr prevailed in the juniors’ division via a 7-of-7 sweep to nip Leonel Escote and Lorenzo Cantela, both a point behind. – Rappler.com