FIDE Master Sander Severino outlasted Croatian Domagoj Glazar in a marathon 90-move win of a Queen’s Pawn Game Tuesday, July 23, to remain at the helm with Polish FM Marcin Molenda after five rounds of the International Physically Disabled Chess Association World Championship at the Black Fortress in Gyumri, Armenia.

Severino and Molenda, who downed former IPCA winner Andrei Obudchuk of Russia, remained at the helm with 4.5 points apiece and were tackling each other in the sixth round at press time with the winner assuming the solo lead in this nine-round meet that drew 52 participants.

The 39-year-old Severino, who has muscle dystrophy, is seeking to reclaim the title he won four years ago when he blew away everybody by scoring 8.5 points out of nine in a tournament done via online format due to the pandemic.

Not far behind and still in contention were Filipinos James Infiesto and Henry Lopez.

Infiesto, who also coaches the national para chess team, turned back Bakytzhan  Maikenov of Kazakhstan to leapfrog to a share of sixth place with eight others with 3.5 points.

Lopez, for his part, split the point with Denis Denisov of FIDE to get to a group of chessers at No. 15 with three points each.

The country also sent its women’s team of four, whose trip is being bankrolled by the Philippine Sports Commision, that included Cheryl Angot, who has the highest points thus far with two.

The rest were Cheyzer Mendoza (1.5), Jean Lee-Nacita (1.5) and Fe Mangayayam (1).