Miciano back on track

International Master John Marvin Miciano trounced Woman FIDE Master Sonja Maria Bluhm of Germany to reclaim a place in the top 10 after the eighth and penultimate round of the 22nd Hogeschool Zeeland chess tournament in Vlissingen, the Netherlands Friday night.

The win ended the 17-year-old Miciano’s two-game skid while catapulting him back to the top 10 where he shares ninth place with 12 others with six points apiece, or a point behind solo leader GM Sandro Mareco of Argentina.

Miciano was eyeing to keep his place there or better, a top five performance with a win over second seed GM Jorden Van Foreest of the Netherlands in the ninth and final round at press time.

Interestingly, Van Foreest faced two more Filipinos — WGM Janelle Mae Frayna and GM Jayson Gonzales — before facing Miciano.

The Dutch lost to Gonzales in the seventh round and before downing Frayna.

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