Sharjah: Alexander Grischuk of Russia downed erstwhile co-leader Shakriyar Mamedyarov of Azerbaijan to join Maxime Vachier-Lagrave of France for the lead after the penultimate round of the Sharjah FIDE Grand Prix at the Sharjah Chess Club.
Grischuk, a former World Championship semi-finalist and three-time world blitz chess champion, used the Panov Botvinnik Attack against the Caro Kann Defense of Mamedyarov. The Russian gained control of the centre and transposed to an advantageous Rook and pawn endgame. The Azerbaijani saw that he could not stop pawn promotion and resigned on the 60th move.
The win allowed Grischuk to tie French GM Maxime Vachier-Lagrave for the lead with 5 points each going into the last round. The two leaders face off in the exciting final round in the race for the top prize of €20,000 (Dh77,732).
Maxime was held to a draw by Ian Nepomniachtchi of Russia who essayed the English Opening. The game went into the Four Knights variation and after an exchange of Queens on the 18th move, the Russian entered the Rook and pawn endgame a pawn up. Maxime defended accurately and they agreed to halve the point after a marathon 96 moves.
Mamedyarov and four others are within striking distance at 4.5 points each — namely Nepomniachtchi, Michael Adams of England, Dmitry Jakovenko of Russia and Hikaru Nakamura of the USA.
Jakovenko used the Giuoco Piano to draw with Adams in 30 moves. Nakamura was held to a draw in 53 moves of a Queen’s Gambit Declined by Levon Aronian of Armennia.
Aronian and five others are tied at 4 points each, namely Richard Rapport of Hungary, Li Chao, Hou Yifan and Ding Liren of China and Francisco Vallejo Pons of Spain. Compatriots Li Chao and Ding Liren drew in 32 moves of a Fianchetto Gruenfeld. Hou Yifan and Rapport drew in 32 moves of a Classical Caro kann. Vallejo Pons used the French Defense to hold local hero Salem A.R. Saleh of the UAE to a draw in 25 moves.
Salem has 3.5 points together with Pavel Eljanov of Ukraine. Eljanov used the Queen’s Indian defence to beat Jon Ludvig Hammer of Norway in 52 moves of a Rook and pawn endgame. Hammer and Evgeny Tomashevsky of Russia have 3 points each. Tomashevsky drew with cellar dweller Alexander Riazantsev of Russia in 21 moves of a Queen’s Gambit Declined Ragozin Defence.
