Adly, Guseinov share lead in Sharjah chess

Adly used the Reti Opening against IM Arab Adlane of Algeria and there were four Queens on the board when the two agreed to a draw on the 57th move.

Co-leaders GM Ahmed Adly (left) of Egypt and GM Gadir Guseinov of Azerbaijan drew in an earlier round. Supplied photo

Sharjah — Former world junior champion GM Ahmed Adly of Egypt and GM Gadir Guseinov of Azerbaijan drew their respective eighth round assignments to maintain their co-leadership with 6.5 points each after the penultimate round of the Sharjah Capital of Islamic Culture Chess Championship at the Sharjah Chess Club.

Adly used the Reti Opening against IM Arab Adlane of Algeria and there were four Queens on the board when the two agreed to a draw on the 57^th move. Guseinov played a quick friendly draw against compatriot Eltaj Safarli in 21 moves of a Sicilian Maroczy Bind. Three players follow with six points each, namely Adlane, GM Nijat Abasov of Azerbaijan and FM Semetey Tologontegin of Kyrgyzstan. Abasov needed only 33 moves to crush the Modern Defense of FM Jasem Alhuwar of the UAE. Tolgontegin used the Pirc Defence to beat FM Ibrahim Charour of Lebanon in 46 moves.

In the women’s division, Ulviyya Fataliyeva of Azerbaijan grabbed solo lead with seven points. Fataliyeva used the French Defense to beat WIM Elena Boric of Bosnia Herzegovina in 31 moves.

WFM Dorsa Derakhshani of Iran follows closely half a point behind. Sarvinov Kurbonboeva of Uzbekistan used the Sicilian Defense to hold Derakhshani to a draw in 55 moves. Kurbonboeva is alone in third slot with 5 ½ points.

Four players follow with five points each, namely top seed WGM Dinara Saduakassova of Kazakhstan, WIM Abdulla Khayala of Azerbaijan, WFM Boshra Alshaeby of Jordan and WFM Nadezhda Antonova of Tajikistan.

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