Miciano tops Asian Youth, gets IM title

Fide Master John Marvin Miciano beat Sri Lankan Candidate Master GMH Thilakarathne Monday night to rule the Asian Youth Chess Championships Under-18 Open division and earn an outright International Master title in Chiang Mai, Thailand.

Handling white, the 18-year-old Miciano, pride of Davao and Far Eastern University, prevailed in 44 moves of a Sicilian Najdorf 6.h3 variation, to amass 7.5 points in nine rounds.

Miciano won his first five matches before going in cruise control with three straight draws.

According to Grandmaster Jayson Gonzales, Miciano’s coach at FEU, the plan is for the Grade 12 honor graduate to become a GM in the next two years. He also qualified for the World Youth Championships in Greece this October. —ROY LUARCA