Gholom and Mohuddin share leader board

The UAE's Salim Gholom, the top-ranked player, and Indian Ali Mohuddin became the joint leaders of the annual Ramadan Chess Tournament.

The event is being organised by Abu Dhabi Chess and Culture Club at Le Meridien Hotel. Both players have 5.5 points each from six rounds and will face each other in the seventh round to decide the sole leader of the competition.

Gholom beat former joint leader Briton Nicholas D. in a highly-tactical encounter, while Mohuddin defeated the UAE's Faisal Kishwani with the local youngster failing to make use of the early advantage he got by applying the Fildor Defence.

A total of five players are hot on the heels of the leaders with five points. They include Indians Abu Bakr Ali, Shahul Hameed and T. Sajid, Pakistani Faroog Rana and Egyptian Mohammed Haiba.

Abu Bakr defeated Filipino Gil Javier and will face Rana, who beat Iranian Majeed Redha.

Sajid defeated the UAE's Abdullah Mohammed Salih and will play against countryman Shahul Hameed, who beat Sudanese Hamzah Hassan.

Haiba overcame Palestinian Hossam Kabbouli and will face his countryman Ahmed Al Ghandoor, who is on 4.5 points following his win over UAE's Abdullah Abbass.

In the under-14 tournament, Mansour Abbass defeated his brother Ahmed to become joint leader along with his countryman Ibrahim Mohammed Khory. Both have four points each from as many matches as Khory beat Khalid Ahmed in the fourth round.

Mansour will face Ibrahim, the Arab Junior champion, in the fifth round to decide the sole leader of the seven round tournament.

Trailing behind on three points each are the UAE's Ahmed Abbass, Zayed Ali, Ahmed Al Aghbari and his brother Omar and Filipino Leo Brazil.

In the fifth round Brazil will play against Ahmed Abbass. The Al Aghbari brothers will face each other and Zayed meets compatriot Khalid Ahmed with 2.5 points.