Abu Dhabi: GM Hovhannes Gabuzyan of Armenia beat compatriot IM Tigran Petrosian in the penultimate round to grab solo lead with seven points in the FISU World University Chess Championship at the Khalidiya Palace Raihaan by Rotana in Abu Dhabi.
Erstwhile co-leader GM Vladimir Fedoseev of Russia fell to second after he was held to a draw by IM Marko Nenezic of Serbia. Fedoseev has 6.5 points, only half a point behind Gabuzyan. Nenezic is in third slot with 6 points and could play the spoiler’s role as he faces Gabuzyan in the final round.
Fedoseev is matched with IM Amirreza Pourramezanalli of Iran in the 9th round. Pourramezanalli has 5.5 points together with GM Pavel Ponkratov of Russia and IM Stefan Mazur of Slovakia who face each other in the final round.
Mazur beat GM Samvel Ter-Sahakyan of Armenia in the 8th round while Pourramezanali and Ponkratov drew with each other.
In the women’s division, WGM Ni Shiqun of China and WIM Ghazal Hakimifard of Iran maintained their joint leadership with 6 points apiece after they drew with each other in the penultimate round.
WIM Alina Bivol of Russia, WGM Mitra Hejazipour of Iran and Anna Warakomska of Poland share third slot with 5.5 points each. Tied with 5 points each are defending champion GM Klaudia Kulon of Poland, WIM Maria Gevorgyan of Armenia, WFM Qiu Mengjie of China, WIM Jovana Erid of Serbia and FM Dana Pustovoitova of Russia.
