Severino misses winning line

MANILA, Philippines — FIDE Master Sander Severino lost his grip on the lead and fell to a share of seventh place after halving the point with Russian Maksim Ermakov in the fourth round of the World Chess Championship for People with Disabilities Monday.

Severino, the 36-year-old world champion for the physically disabled, allowed Ermakov to equalize early, no thanks to opening misadventures leading to a 49-move draw of a Queen’s Gambit Declined.

That sent the ASEAN and Asian Para Games gold medalist down with 3.5 points or half-a-point behind the six-player lead pack.