Dubai: Former Dubai Open champion GM Abhijeet Gupta of India and five other Grandmasters shared the lead with perfect scores after three rounds of the 16th Dubai Open Chess Championship under way at the Dubai Chess Club in Dubai.
Gupta crushed the Nimzo Indian defence of compatriot GM Grover Sahaj in 58 moves to collect three points in a tie for the lead with GMs Edouard Romain of France, Alex Bachmann of Paraguay, Eduardo Iturrizaga of Venezuela and Anwar Ismagambetov of Kazakhstan, and FM Hatim Al Hadarani of Yemen.
Romain used the Queen’s Gambit Accepted to turn back GM Pavel Kotsur of Kazakhstan in 46 moves. Ismagambetov beat GM Baseem Amin of Egypt in 42 moves of a Ruy Lopez game. Iturrizaga smashed the King’s Indian Defence of GM Pontus Carlsson of Sweden in 35 moves. Bachmann needed only 29 moves of a Catalan opening to beat untitled 15-year-old V. Karthik of India.
Fide Master Hatim Al Hadarani of Yemen continued his giant-killing ways. He used the Colle System to penetrate with his major artillery and threaten mate against GM Rinat Jumabayev of Kazakhstan in 32 moves. Al Hadarani had beaten GM Goran Dizdar of Croatia in the previous round.
Eighteen players follow with 2-1/2 points each in the race for $50,000 (Dh183,000) in cash prizes. A total of 143 players from 39 countries are competing in the 9-round Swiss system tournament.
The tournament is scheduled until April 16 at the Dubai Culture and Chess Club. Top boards are broadcast live at the Dubai Chess Club web site with photo gallery, games download and links to video coverage on YouTube.
Cash prizes shall be awarded the top 16 places with a top prize of $10,000 for the champion. Special prizes shall be awarded to Arab players and ladies, club players and for the blitz tournament.
