FILIPINO chess wizard and Fide Master (FM) Alekhine Fabiosa Nouri scored 7.5 points in eight rounds to rule the USM 24th Chess Individual Open Tournament 2017/2018 in Penang, Malaysia last Sunday.
The 12-year-old Alekhine, a grade five pupil of Far Eastern University had seven wins and a draw in the tournament.
He was tied with Ronnie Lim Chuin Hoong of Malaysia but the Filipino took the top spot by virtue of superior tiebreak points.
International Master Emmanuel “Manny” Senador of the Philippines tied for third with Tan Khai Boon, Eshwant Singh and Tan Jia Yun of Malaysia with 7.0 points.
Alekhine scored victories over Malaysians Leong Zheng Haw in the first round, Divyadarrshini A/P Loganathan in the second, Tan Jia Yun in the third round, Chua Kian Meng in the fourth, Goh Jie Yi in the fifth, Fide Master Nelson Villanueva of the Philippines in the sixth and Malaysian Eng Jia Qian in the eighth and final round. He drew with Ronnie Lim Chuin Hoong of Malaysia in the seventh round.
The native of Escalante City, Negros Occidental, Alekhine was named after the Russian world chess champion Alexander Alekhine.
He acquired his Fide Master title when he was just seven years old, becoming the youngest FIDE Master at that time.