Chess: Young Emiratis join leaders

Sultan Al Zaabi continues impressive run.

Young Emiratis showed splendid form and playing skills when they joined nine other players from six countries as joint leaders after the second and third rounds of the 14th Dubai Juniors Chess Tournament for the Shaikh Maktoum bin Hamdan Al Maktoum Cup at the Dubai Chess and Culture Club.
Candidate Masters (CM) Sultan Al Zaabi and Omran Al Hosani continued their impressive run as they were joined by fellow UAE players Saeed Al Hosani and Al Darmaky Sultan with three points.
Omran Al Hosani defeated Al Darmaky Saif, Al Zaabi won over Fatima Al Wahabi, Saeed Al Hosani won over India's Sivadurga Adduri and Al Damarky defeated Aakarsh Gupta of India in the third round.
Also posting three points each were top-seed Fide Master (FM) Viktor Matviishen of Ukraine, who won over India's Mohammed Fawwaaz in the third round, Indian second-seed Rahul Srivatshav P, who defeated compatriot Singh Gurmeher, and Bangladeshi third-seed FM Mohammad Fahad Rahman, winner over India's Sidharth Balaji Sridharan.
Others with perfect slates going into Friday's 5:30pm fifth round are fourth-seed CM Ahmad Ahmadzada of Azerbaijan, Armenia's Eduard Hakobyan and Hayk Kocharyan, India's Ranjan Aryan and Viswanath Rohan Raghu and Kazakhstan's Kazybek Umbetov.
A total of 110 players from 12 countries are taking part in the nine-round Swiss system tournament, which offers a total prize fund of $10,000, with $2,000 and the Shaikh Maktoum bin Hamdan Al Maktoum Cup going to the champion. The top 10 winners of the tournament will receive cash prizes, along with the best Emirati and Dubai Chess Club players.
The tournament allocates a thinking time of 90 minutes plus a 30-second increment for each move. Games are also transmitted live at the club's website (www.dubaichess.ae) and major international chess sites.
Results:
Leaders - all on 3 points after rounds 2 and 3 (to read as rank/name/Fide rating: Rahul Srivatshav P/IND/2273; FM/Mohammad Fahad Rahman/BAN/2157; CM/Ahmadzada Ahmad/AZE/2099; Hakobyan Eduard/ARM/1753; Kocharyan Hayk/ARM/1573; FM/Matviishen Viktor/UKR/2390; Aryan Ranjan/IND/1836; CM/Al Zaabi Sultan/UAE 1674; Viswanath Raghu Rohan/IND/1155; Al Hosani Saeed/UAE/1550; Al Darmaky Sultan/UAE/1500; Umbetov Kazybek/KAZ/2002; CM/Al Hosani Omran/UAE/1821.