Severino sends Philippine chessers on top

MANILA, Philippines — FIDE Master Sander Severino outplayed Milan Orsag in 38 moves of a Queen’s Gambit Exchange Variation to power the Philippines to a 2.5-1.5 win over the Czech Republic and a share of the lead after two rounds of the first FIDE Chess Olympiad for People with Disabilities in Belgrade, Serbia last Tuesday.

Severino, former world champion for the physically disabled, used his ingenuity in outmaneuvering his bedazzled foe and gaining a positional edge for the match-clinching victory on top board.

Henry Lopez, Darry Bernardo and Cheyzer Mendoza drew their games from boards two to four to help the Philippines secure a place on top alongside giants India, Israel, Poland, Serbia 2 and FIDE, a team composed of chessers from different countries.

The day before, the Filipinos, skippered by playing coach James Infiesto, shocked Uzbekistan, 3.5-.5, on wins by Severino, Lopez and Bernardo on boards one to three and a split by Mendoza on board four.

It was a massive win for the country against a nation that shocked the world by topping the World Chess Olympiad in Chennai, India last year.

The Filipinos will tackle Serbia’s second team of Mile Bjelanovic, Stefan Mitrovic, Luka Bulatovic and Vladan Petrovic in the third round of this six-round tournament that gathered the top 26 teams in the globe via their average rating.