DAVAO City’s international master (IM) John Marvin Miciano finished 13th in the 2019 National Chess Championship Semifinal Open Division the closed in Pace, Quezon City.

He was among the top five chessers in the first three rounds but he struggled in the following rounds of the nine-round Swiss System format competition.

Seventh-seed Miciano, who was hailed last July 22 as So Kim Cheng Sports Awards male athlete of the year, tallied five points.

Miciano won a boys-under-18 standard individual gold medal in the Open International de Sitges in Spain and a silver in Bruges Masters 2018 in Belgium. Last June 2019, he collected one gold medal, three silvers and one bronze for the country in the 20th Asean+ Age-Group Chess Championships in Mandalay City, Myanmar.

Fifth-seed Fide master (FM) Sander Severino emerged champion, edging three other 6.5 scorers second seed IM Haridas Pascua, fourth seed Jerad Docena and third seed IM Jan Emmanuel Garcia via superior tiebreaks.

Top seed IM Paulo Bersamina finished fifth as he also edged four other six-pointers.

A total of 38 players competed in event that stakes slots to the grand finals.