Sarana holds Arjun Erigaisi in Sharjah Masters, while Volodar defeats Aravindh

In a nail-biting round of the Sharjah Masters chess tournament, Grandmaster Arjun Erigaisi faced off against Alexey Sarana of Serbia and was forced to settle for a draw, while Aravindh Chithambaram suffered a second consecutive loss, putting Indian hopes in jeopardy.

With just one round remaining in the tournament, Bardiya Daneshvar of Iran, Sam Shankland of the USA, and Volodar Mulzin of Russia emerged as the co-leaders with six points each, vying for the USD 52000 prize money.

Arjun currently shares the fourth spot with 5.5 points, but his tie-break may not be strong enough to secure a podium finish even if he wins the final round game.

In a crucial match, young Volodar Mulzin outplayed Chithambaram in a Sicilian defense game, capitalizing on his opponent’s missed tactics to secure a decisive victory. Meanwhile, Arjun faced a tough challenge from Alexey Sarana in a Queen’s gambit declined, resulting in a peaceful draw as both players opted not to push for a win in the equal endgame.

As the tournament heads into its final round, the competition is heating up, with players giving their all to clinch the top spots. Stay tuned for the thrilling conclusion of the Sharjah Masters chess tournament to see who will emerge victorious in this intense battle of wits.