By KRISTEL SATUMBAGA
International Master John Marvin Miciano firmed up his title bid on Monday night after moving half a point behind solo leader GM Gadir Guseinov of Azerbaijan after four rounds in the XX Obert Internacional Sant Marti 2018 chess championship in Barcelona, Spain.
The 17-year-old Miciano bested India’s Das Abishnek in 42 moves of a Sicilian game to improve to 3.5 points – the same output of eight other players in the nine-round tournament. He has three wins and a draw.
Guseinov, the top seed, remained unbeaten with 4 points – his recent triumph came at the expense of IM Cardoso Alexey Fernandez of Cuba.
Woman Grandmaster Janelle Frayna and her coach, GM Jayson Gonzales, also remained in contention after getting into the crowded 24th to 49th places with 2.5 points.
Frayna, 22, thumped Oleksandr Khudov of Ukraine even as Gonzales split the point with Javier Garcia Gil of Spain.
Miciano next faces GM Jaime Alexander Cuartas of Peru, while Gonzales and Frayna clash with Daniel Romero Pallares of Spain and Om Manish Kadam of India, respectively.
