GM Muradli survives threat from 13-year-old prodigy Erdogmus to maintain lead in Dubai Chess Open

Tournament leader Grandmaster (GM) Mahammad Muradli was pushed to the limit by the 13-year-old Turkish prodigy GM-elect Yagiz Kaan Erdogmus before the two-time Azerbaijan champion settled for a draw on the 48th move to remain the sole leader after the sixth round of the 24th Dubai Open Chess Tournament at the Dubai Chess and Culture Club.

Playing black, Erdogmus had planted a protected passed pawn on the c3-square, just two steps away from promotion, which was a constant source of concern for Muradli.

The Azerbaijan player created counterplay on the d-file with his two rooks, harassing the black queen, which Erdogmus, under severe time pressure, eventually traded with the opposing queen.

This proved inaccurate as Muradli was able to liquidate the game into a theoretically drawn rook endgame, which the Azerbaijani did not have any problems holding.

Muradli has five points and remains alone on top of the leaderboard. Erdogmus likewise stays at joint second place with 4.5 points along with GM Pa Iniyan and IM Aronyak Ghosh, who also drew their sixth-round game.

Joining them was another top Indian player, second-seed GM Raunak Sadhwani, who quickly bounced back from the previous round’s painful defeat to Muradli with a win over compatriot GM S.P. Sethuraman.

Sethuraman employed the aggressive advanced variation against Sadhwani’s Caro-Kann Defence but did not get anything out of the opening. Sadhwani gradually increased his advantage, reaching a rook-and-knight endgame where he had four pawns against Sethuraman’s two.

Serbia’s GM Velimir Ivic, who defeated China’s IM Pang Tao, and IM Sina Movahed of Iran, who upset GM Rinat Jumabayev of Kazakhstan, also have 4.5 points each.

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