Indian Grandmaster Aravindh Chithambaram clinched a decisive victory over local favorite A R Saleh Salem, positioning himself as the frontrunner with 4.5 points following the fifth round of the Sharjah Masters chess tournament. Chithambaram’s stellar performance puts him ahead of the pack, with four players trailing closely behind at four points each: Iranian players Amin Tabatabaei and Bardiya Daneshvar, along with Americans Hans Moke Niemann and Sam Shankland.

Leading the charge in the next group of eight players, each with 3.5 points, is top seed Arjun Erigaisi, accompanied by fellow Indian Sankalp Gupta. As the tournament progresses, the competition remains fierce, with a total of 16 players currently holding three points each, including notable Indian contenders like Abhimanyu Puranik, Leon Luke Mendonca, P Iniyan, and V Pranav.

In a display of exceptional skill, Chithambaram dominated the board against Salem, executing precise moves throughout the game. Employing a King’s Indian defense, Salem found himself under increasing pressure from Chithambaram’s strategic maneuvers. In a pivotal moment on the 17th move, the Chennai-based Grandmaster orchestrated a brilliant tactical sequence, sacrificing two minor pieces to gain a positional advantage. Maintaining control until the endgame, Chithambaram’s superior play led to Salem’s eventual defeat after 48 moves.

Meanwhile, Erigaisi faced a formidable challenge from Volodar Murzin, a promising talent from Russia competing under the FIDE flag. Despite initially securing a favorable position in the middle game, Erigaisi was forced into a defensive stance as Murzin staged a comeback. The game culminated in a rook and pawns endgame, ultimately resulting in a draw.

Other notable performances include Sankalp Gupta’s commendable draw against Teimour Radjabov of Azerbaijan, while Abhimanyu Puranik suffered a loss to Amin Tabatabaei of Iran.

With four rounds remaining in the tournament, the competition intensifies as players strive to secure their positions and vie for the USD 52,000 prize.