MAGHSOODLOO SNIFFS VICTORY AT SHARJAH MASTERS
Seventeen-year-old Grandmaster Parham Maghsoodloo of Iran drew with GM Eltaj Safarli of Azerbaijan in the 8th round to lead alone with 7.5 points after the penultimate round of the 2nd Sharjah Masters Chess Championship at the Sharjah Chess Club in Sharjah on Wednesday.
The Iranian used the Reti opening, gained a pawn on the 37th move and drew the minor piece endgame in 71 moves.
Maghsoodloo maintained his full point lead going into the last round and is a shoo in for the top prize of $15,000.
Safarli and defending champion GM Wang Hao of China follow with 6.5 points each. Wang used the English Opening and managed to promote his pawn to Queen on the 43rd move and force GM SP Sethuraman of India to resign on the 50th move.
Sethuraman and eight others are tied with 6 points each in the race for $57,000 in cash prizes, namely GMS B Adhiban of India, Arkadi Naiditsch of Azerbaijan, Ernesto Inarkiev and Vladislav Artemiev of Russia, Pavel Eljanov and Yuriy Kryvoruchko of Ukraine, Ahmed Adly of Egypt and Sandro Mareco of Argentina.
In the decisive games, Kryvoruchko essayed the Ruy Lopez to beat GM Prasanna Vishnu of India in 56 moves. Naiditsch beat IM Oliver Dimakiling of the Phlippines in 66 moves of a Four Knights Game.
Mareco crushed the King’s Indian defense of GM Gawain Jones of England in a marathon 85 moves.
Adly smashed the King’s Indian defense of Vladislav Kovalev of Belarus in 43 moves.
The tournament is held under the patronage of His Highnes Sheikh Dr Sultan Bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and ruler of Sharjah.
Top games are broadcast live. Visit the official web site at http:// shjchessmasters.com/ and chessresults.com for full results and standings.