Team Herald
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DONA PAULA: The highlight of the day was a gripping battle on the top board where Poland’s top seed IM Molenda Marcin, playing with white pieces, outplayed overnight leader Dzenisenia Mikhail of Russia in a Queen’s Gambit Accepted opening continued to thrill chess lovers with high-octane encounters on Day 5 in the 24th World IPCA Chess Championship 2025 ongoing at the International Centre, here, on Saturday.
The match extended to 45 moves, culminating in a strategic victory that now places IM Marcin at the top of the leader board with 5.5 points from six rounds.
On the second board, the game ended quickly as FM Sargissyan Sargis of Armenia defeated Anfinogenov Artem of Russia in just 22 moves using the King’s Indian Defence, showcasing sharp tactical prowess.
Meanwhile, the third board saw a hard-fought draw between FM Lipilin Illia of Russia and AIM Sundui Sonom of Mongolia. Their game, employing the Bird’s Opening, spanned 52 intense moves, ending with both players sharing the point. With this shift in standings, IM Molenda Marcin leads the championship alone. Trailing close behind with 5 points each are: Ayapov Alimzham (Kazakhstan), Dzenisenia Mikhail (Russia), FM Sargissyan Sargis (Armenia).
A strong group of players remain in close contention with 4.5 points each, keeping the competition wide open: FM Lipilin Illia (Russia), Glazar Domagoj (Croatia), IM Andrei Gurbanov (Israel), FM Valenta Vit Vaclav (Czech Republic), FM Venkata Krishna Karthik K (India), AIM Sundui Sonom (Mongolia).