Chess blog

Xadrez diario is a blog dedicated to chess news from around the word. This week the Malta International Open Chess Tournament came to a close:

On Friday 21st January the Paradise Bay ICT came to its final moments. The seventh and last round closed the programme of play. On first board GM Stefan Djuric and IM Saad Belouadah made an early draw; they started the round with 5 points each and thought they would be unreachable at the level of 5.5 points. In fact the only one within reach was Torben Sorensen who however faced the visitor from Monaco Patrick van Hoolandth; his sole hope to reach the top two was in winning the full point; winning strategy would lay him open to grave risks. Van Hoolandth would defend with drawing possibilities without risking dangerous skirmishing.