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Seven share Al Ain chess lead

Two rounds were played on Saturday, the second day of the nine-round Swiss System event.

Al Ain — GM Yuri Kuzubov of Ukraine and six other grandmasters share the lead with perfect scores of three points each after as many rounds of the Al Ain Classic Chess Championship at the Hili Rotana in Al Ain.

Two rounds were played on Saturday, the second day of the nine-round Swiss System event. Kuzubov beat GM Visnu Prasanna of India in the morning and followed up with another win over GM Luka Paichadze of Georgia in the afternoon round, using the French defense to beat the Georgian in 36 moves.

Tied for the lead at tree points each are Ukrainians Yuriy Kryvoruchko and Mikhailo Oleksienko, Sergei Zhigalko of Belarus, Tigran Petrosian of Armenia, Gaioz Nigalidze of Georgia and Ulvi Bajarani of Azerbaijan.

Kryvoruchko delivered checkmate on the 35^th move against GM Samuel Ter-Sahakyan of Armenia. Oleksienko crushed the Slav Defence of International Master Zaur Mammadov of Azerbaijan in 40 moves.

Zhigalko kept pace, beating GM Tejas Bakre of India in round two and GM Eldar Gasanov of Ukraine in round three. Petrosian used the Pirc Defence to beat Bangladesh GM Ziaur Rahman in 57 moves of a Rook and pawn endgame.

Nigalidze upset higher rated Alexander Areshchenko of Ukraine, crushing his Gruenfeld Defence in a marathon 79 moves of a Minor Piece endgame. In another upset, youthful Ulvi Bajarani smashed the Pirc Defence of GM Evgeni Miroshnichenko of Ukraine in 39 moves.

Eighteen players follow with 2.5 points, namely Indian GMs Vidit Santos Gujrathi, Sahaj Grover, G.N. Gopal, Abhijeet Gupta, Deep Sengupta and IM Shardul Gagare, Sarasadat Khademalsharieh of Iran, Nijat Abasov, Gulnar Mammadova of Azerbaijan, Samuel Shankland of the USA, Levon Babujian and Aman Pashikian of Armenia, Vladimir Onishuk and Alexander Kovchan of Ukraine, Sergey Volkov of Russia, Vadim Malakhatko of Belgium and Mircea Emilian Parligras of Romania. At stake in the tournament organized by the Al Ain Chess Club is a total of $50,000 in cash prizes.