Nouri clinches 3rd place, IM title

Alekhine Nouri outlasted countryman Michael Concio Jr. in the ninth and final round to snare a third-place finish and the International Master title that goes with it in the 7th ASEAN+ Individual Chess Championships at the AMORAP in Misamis Occidental Sunday night.

The 20-year-old Far Eastern University from Escalante, Negros Occidental bested Concio in 72 moves of their Caro-Kann duel, fell into a six-player tie at No. 3 with six points each and emerged with the best tiebreaker to seize the podium finish and the IM title.

“Next will be the grandmaster title,” said Nouri, whose father IM Hamed Nouri named him after Russian and former world champion Alekhine Nouri in this event financed by host Gov. Henry Oaminal, Sr. and backed by the Philippine Sports Commission and WR Chess.

Indian Shrivatri Anuj downed Australian IM James Morris in 33 moves of an English to claim the crown and the GM title with seven points while Vietnamese GM Nguyen Doc Hua drew with Indonesian IM Satria Duta Cahaya in 56 moves of a Sicilian to wind up second with 6.5 points.

Anuj also became the second Indian to rule this meet after VS Raahul took the trophy a year ago and went home a GM himself.