Severino, Caoili close in on chess title

Sander Severino and Arianne Caoili pulled off crucial penultimate round victories to move in the threshold of topping their respective division in the Asian Continental Under-16 Chess Championships in Bagac, Bataan Tuesday.

The 15-year-old Severino, a paraplegic from Silay City in Negros Occidental whose stint here is sponsored by the Social Security System, showed his endgame brilliance to beat John Paul Gomez in 63 moves of an English Opening.

The victory hiked Severino’s output to seven points, one-point ahead of Tranh Anh Tri of Vietnam with only one round left in the 9-round Swiss system event.

In girls’ play, Caoili defeated Ana Paula Castillo in 37 moves of a Slav to likewise notch her seventh point. Already a Woman FIDE Master, Caoili, who turns 14 tomorrow, guns not only for the crown against Kimberly Cunanan but also for her second Woman IM norm.

Lurking behind her with 6.5 points is Vietnamese Le Thanh Tu while Dinara Tuitebayeva of Kazakhstan has 5.5 points.