ASHOT PREVAILS
By Our Sports Reporter

Khaleej Times, UAE
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Aug 20 2007

ABU DHABI – Armenian Grand Master Ashot Anastasian claimed a splendid
win over IM Morteza Mahjoob of Iran to take a slender lead with two
rounds left in the 17th Abu Dhabi International Chess Festival at
the Abu Dhabi Cultural Foundation on Saturday night.

Playing black in the top of the table clash, the seventh round
victory took his tally to six points, half-a-point ahead of both,
GM Amin Bassem of Egypt and Ukrainian GM Valeriy Neverov. Bassem,
who led for two rounds with a five-match winning streak, split points
with Armenian GM Karen Asrian while Neverov sent third seeded Georgian
GM Levan Pantsulaia to his second defeat to share second spot.

Enamul Hossain of Bangladesh clinched a fine victory over GM Elshan
Moradiabad of Iran to lead the next chasing pack on five points
apiece that also included Asrian, Vasif Durarbevil of Azerbaijan,
bottom seeded Georgian GM Baadur Jobava, Iranians GM Ehsan Maghami
and IM Morteza Mahjoob.

Maghami won against GM Liem Le Quang of Vietnam, Jobava outplayed
Eltaj Safarli of Azerbaijan and Durarbevil got the better of Georgian
GM Zurab Sturua to stay in the race for the Masters title.

The Open division is headed for a tight finish with five players
sharing the lead on seven points after Mamatkya Khayalayev and Javier
Virgilio figured in a stalemate. A.Raes, Sadegh Mamoody and Hasan
Kolyaie joined them with victories over Yacine Boulkrouche, Mazen
Akkam and Hany Al Sharif respectively. Top seeded Ali Mahmoud took
his tally to 6-1/2 with a fine victory over Rashwan Saad Kilani.