Cebuano Sevillano earns 3rd GM norm

Filipino Enrico Sevillano (ELO 2526) earned his third and final grandmaster norm by winning the 21st Metropolitan Chess FIDE Invitational, a Grandmaster norm 10-player round-robin tournament held last Aug. 3-7 at the Radisson Los Angeles Airport Hotel in  California.

The Cebuano woodpusher, who is currently based in Tehachapi, California, scored 6.0 points in the nine-round tournament.

Sevillano, the 1986 Asian junior champion, two-time Philippine Chess Olympiad player (1992 and 1994), the 2008 U.S. Open champion  and the first Filipino ever to qualify for the U.S. Championship in 2009, defeated American IM Melikset Khachiyan and IM Levon Altounian in the last two rounds to claim his third and final GM norm.

Sevillano will be conferred his GM title in the next FIDE Congress in Istanbul, Turkey which coincides with the staging of the 2012 World Chess Olympiad later this month.

“This proves once again that Filipino woodpushers can be at par with the world’s best,” said National Chess Federation of the Philippines (NCFP) Secretary-General Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino Jr.

Tied for second were GM Robert Hess of the USA (ELO 2624) and IM Roman Yankovsky of Russia (ELO 2468) both with 5.5 points.

Sevillano claimed his 2nd GM norm in the 13th Metropolitan Chess FIDE Invitational last December 2011. He is a member of the Heritage Bible Church, a Fil-Am Christian Ministry in Bakersfield, California founded by Pastor Jojo Culaniban, also a Filipino Pastor Missionary.

“Congratulation to our very own International Master Enrico Sevillano for clinching his 3rd and final Grandmaster norm. You are the Philippines’ newest GrandMaster. The Ahedres ng Pilipinas family salutes you, we are so proud of you. Keep up the good work,” said US master Ruben Ondangan, a close friend of Sevillano.

With his latest feat, Sevillano became the third Cebuano Grandmaster following Paris-based Joseph Sanchez and Richard Bitoon.