KATOWICE- Friday, August 22nd, on the eve of the final weekend of the 13th World University Chess Championship, two rounds were on the programme after a day off which contributed to the players’ rest.
In the men’s tournament four players were sharing the lead before the 6th round held in the morning, and in the end of this round, those four players Bukashvin (RUS – GM – Elo 2603), Grigoryan (ARM – GM – Elo 2595), Bernasek (CZE – GM – Elo 2536) and Yu (CHN – GM – Elo 2534) still shared the lead after Bukashvin drew against Grigoryan and Bernasek with Yu. Those four players ended the sixth round with 4 ½ points, their closest opponents Sjugirov (RUS), Shimanov (RUS) and Swiercz (POL) following with 4 points.
Despite this strong competition, the most intense match of the day appeared in the middle of the ranking with Nicolas Grandadam (SUI – FM ) facing Brazil’s Evandro Barbosa (IM). Despite a better Elo ranking for the South American (2446 against 2307) those two players, tied with 2 ½ before the sixth round offered a match of a rare intensity, concluded after 5h30 with a victory of the Helvetic player.
In the women’s tournament, Kulon (POL – WIM – Elo 2301) faced her teammate Anna Gasik (POL – WIM – 2229). Kulon, seed n°5 of the tournament continued her winning streak defeating seed n°9 to conquer her 6th point in as many rounds. Ding Yixin (CHN – WGM – Elo 2449) defeated Russia’s Maria Fominykh (WIM – Elo 2296) and appeared to be the toughest opponent of Kulon for the last three rounds while Munguntul (MGL – IM – Elo 2410) also conquered a point beating Khlichkova (RUS – WFM – Elo 2232) to reach 4 ½ point, second equal with Ding. In this sixth round, the longest match featured once again a swiss player, Maria Heinatz (Elo 1889) and Julia Dogodkina (RUS – WFM – Elo 2210). After slightly more than 4 hours, the Russian player took the best to win her third point.
In the afternoon, the first match to be over involved Munguntul (MGL) who with her win on Tomnikova (RUS) put the pressure on Kulon reaching 5 ½ points in the end of this 7th round. Kulon, on her side, defeated Ding to take a clear lead with 7 victories in seven matches, she will be champion if she does not lose her two last round, or if Munguntul does not score the maximum point during the last two rounds. On the lower positions, only one player has still scored no point, Yuki Arai (JPN) having lost during this 7th round to Maria Heinatz (SUI).
In the men’s tournament, Sjugirov and Swierz drew on a quick match reaching 4 ½ points but letting the leaders take a wider margin before the last two rounds. Few moments later, two of the leaders Bukashvin (RUS) and Bernasek (CZE) drew bringing their total to 5 points. The same ending took place in the match between Yu (CHN) and Grigoryan (ARM) letting the suspens be for the last two rounds, especially since two players join those four leaders with 5 points, namely Shimanov (RUS) and Tomczak (POL) after defeating respectively Krejci (CZE) and Lou (CHN). It is thus six players who are now sharing the lead with 5 points followed by seven players with 4.5 points, a terrible suspens still exist in the men’s tournament before Saturday’s afternoon 8th round. Within those thirteen players, only two are not Grand Master, Poland’s Klekowski and Serbia’s Nenezic (IM).
(Source: Julien Buhajezuk, WUC Dept.)