Martinez, Salvador gain full IM norms in Italy

Rolly Martinez and Roland Salvador finished with 5.5 points each in the 24th Bratto Chess Festival to become the country’s newest international masters.

Salvador trounced FIDE Master Pierluigi Piscopo of France after 50 moves of Sicilian Defense-Pelikan in the seventh round, then settled for a draw with four-time champion and top seed Super Grandmaster Vladimir Epishin (Elo 2635) of Russia after a marathon 75 moves of Queens Indian Defense in the eighth and penultimate round.

Martinez, who got his first IM norm in Genova, Italy, last week, halved the point with IM Fabrizio Bellia of Italy via Sicilian-Rosolimo game in the seventh round, then upset GM Harmen Jonkman of the Netherlands after 33 moves of the Sicilian-Alapin in the next round.

Cebuano IM Joseph Sanchez nipped FM Flavio Guido of Italy in the seventh round, then drew his next match against FM Folco Castaldo of Italy in 41 moves of another Sicilian duel to join Martinez, Salvador and Epishin in the group of 5.5 pointers.

Filipino IM Ronald Bancod posted back-to-back wins against Matteo Zoldan and Carlo Shytaj of Italy to improve his record with 5.0 points, the same output of compatriot and newly-installed IM Yves Rañola.

Rañola drew his match with IM Fabio Bellini of Italy after 39 moves of King’s Indian Attack, then lost to GM Sinisa Drazic of Yugoslavia in the next round. Second seed Super Grandmaster Igor Miladinovic (ELO 2630) of Greece remained on top with 7.0 points.

Others in contention are GM Erald Dervishi of Albania (6.5 pts.); IM Paolo Vezzosi of Italy (6.0 pts.) and GM Drazic (6.0 pts.).

Martinez will gain his GM norm with a win in the last round against GM Maksimenko. Salvador also seeks his first GM norm against GM Andrei Maksimenko of Ukraine. Sanchez battles FM Luca Shytaj of Italy, Martinez takes on IM Lorenz Drabke of Germany, Bancod meets Carlo Passoni of Italy and Rañola will slug it out with FM Massimiliano Lucaroni of Italy.