After neutralizing fifth seed Russian GM Vyacheslav Ikonnikov in the fifth round, International Master John Marvin Miciano wavered from his aggressive play and was downed by top seed Argentinian Grandmaster Sandro Mareco in the sixth round of the 22nd Hogeschool Zeeland chess tournament in Vlissingen, the Netherlands Wednesday night.
The 17-year-old Miciano made efforts to free himself out of trouble but was utterly crushed by a well-executed end game technique of Mareco as the latter snatched a share of the lead at 5.5 apiece with Chinese GM Wan Yungu, who recently won over IM Antonio Dcunha Viani of India.
The Far Eastern University standout dropped to a 10-player group at third with five points each.
At the same time, after becoming overpowered by Dutch IM Mad Warmerdam and ousted out of the Top 50 with 2.5 points, WGM Janelle Mae Frayna stormed back into contention after assailing Swiss Duke Kruetzmann and Dutch Robert Oosting, respectively, to zoom to a big group at the 13th spot with 4.5 points apiece.
Miciano and Frayna’s coach-GM Jayson Gonzales, on the other hand, scalped Woman FIDE Mastee Sonja Maria Bluhm in 31 moves of a Caro-Kann Defense.
Miciano was playing the Netherlands’ GM Roeland Pruijssers, while Gonzales, 49, was battling another Dutch GM Jorden Van Foreest by the seventh round at press time.