Al Ain A face China's Qi Yuan for top place

Al Ain: Al Ain A team and Chinese Qi Yuan will face each other in the top clash of the ongoing Asian Chess Champions League to decide the sole leader of the first continental competition at club level as both teams shared the lead with eight points after the fourth round.

Al Ain A beat Tagaytay of the Philippines 3.5-0.5 after both teams fielded two teams that featured eight Grand Masters in their quest to win the points to continue in the race for the title.

Sergey Karjakin settled for a tie with Wesley So while Baadur Jobava, Efimenko Zahar and Li Chao defeated Paraqua Mark, Gomez John Paul and Lavlo Dariwn respectively.

The Chinese stopped the successful streak of Club India in a well-balanced encounter which yielded three ties to finish 2.5-1.5 in favour of the Chinese as IM Laxman R. R lost to GM Wang Hao while his colleagues: IM Sengupta Deep, Karthikeyan P. and Nitin S. forced GM Zhou Jian Chao, Zhou Weiqi and GM Wen Yang to settle for draws.

GM Wang, the only victorious player in the Chinese line up, said after his match with Laxman. “The position was tricky but my pair of bishops became active and I clinched the match.�

Al Ain B team won a private UAE duel when they beat Sharjah Chess Club team 2.5-1.5.

In the other matches:
Fajr Shams beat Rah Ahan, both from Iran, 3-1; Chirchik(Uzb) beat Mon-Cad (Mongolia) 2.5-1.5; Vietnam Victory CC defeated Tajikistan CC 4-0; Club Intchess ( Singapore) beat Galkynysh(Turkmenistan) 3-1; Yemen CC beat Brunei C Centre 3-1; Sports Electricity CC (Iraq) beat Lahore CC (Pakistan) 3.5-0.5; Al Muhafaza (Syria) beat Bahrain Union Club 3-1; Peshmargah (Iraq) trounced Nablus (Palestine) 4-0; Al Shoula (Yemen) beat Sri Lanka CC 2.5-1.5; Al Shula (Syria) drew with Jerusalem CC (Palestine) 2-2; Elite CC (Nepal) beat Ilsan CC (South Korea) 2.5-1.5 and Tanmiyah SC (Lebanon) beat Afghanistan CC 3-1.

In round five, Al Ain A will face Qi Yuan, Fajr Shams will meet Vietnam Victory, Club India will play against Tagaytay, Chirchik will face Al Ain B, Club Intchess will play against Rah Ahan while Sharjah will tackle Tajikistan CC.