Harikrishna loses to Rublevsky in Crimea chess tourney

Crimea, Ukraine, June 25 (UNI) Indian Grandmaster P Harikrishna could not reproduce his sixth round good form and suffered a disappointing loss to tournament leader Grandmaster Sergey Rublevsky of Russia in the seventh round of the Aerosvit International Grandmasters chess tournament here.

With his fifth consecutive victory in the competition, Rublevsky is heading the points table with 5.5 points in the category 18 event which features 12 Grandmasters rated 2600 or higher ELO points.

Vassily Ivanchuk of Ukraine and Viktor Bologan of Macedonia (both 4.5 points) are one full point adrift of Rublevsky.

Harikrishna, who beat Shakhriyar Mamedyarov of Azerbaijan in the sixth round, is languishing with 2.5 points at the bottom of table along with Sergey Karjakin (Ukraine), Ruslan Ponomariov (Ukraine) and Liviu-Dieter Nisipeanu (Romania).

The Indian Grandmaster has so far lost three games, drew thrice and won only once.

Playing with black, Harikrishna began on the defensive after the Russian Grandmaster opened with the queen rook file and the Indian was deceived by Rublevsky's queen sacrifice in the 21st move which was meant to maintain the Russian's rook in an attacking position.

From then onwards, Rublevsky went on the rampage and Harikrishna surrendered after 28 moves.

Harikrishna will play Sergey Karjakin in the next round.

Round Seven Results: 1. Vassily Ivanchuk beat Liviu-Dieter Nisipeanu 2. Alexander Areshchenko beat Andrei Volokitin 3. Alexei Shirov drew with Viktor Bologan 4. Sergey Rublevsky beat P Harikrishna 5. Grischuk drew with Ruslan Ponomariov 6. Shakhriyar Mamedyarov drew with Sergey Karjakin Standings after Round Seven: 1. Sergey Rublevsky (RUS) 5.5 2. Vassily Ivanchuk (UKR) 4.5 Viktor Bologan (MDA) 4.5 4. Alexander Grischuk (RUS) 4.0 5. Shakhriyar Mamedyarov (AZE) 3.5 Alexei Shirov (ESP) 3.5 Andrei Volokitin (UKR) 3.5 8. Alexander Areshchenko (UKR) 3.0 9. P Harikrishna (IND) 2.5 Sergey Karjakin (UKR) 2.5 Ruslan Ponomariov (UKR) 2.5 Liviu-Dieter Nisipeanu (ROM) 2.5 Round Eight Pairings: 1. Nisipeanu VS Grischuk 2. Volokitin VS Ivanchuk 3. Bologan VS Areshchenko 4. Rublevsky VS Shirov 5. Ponomariov VS Mamedyarov 6. Harikrishna VS Karjakin UNI XC PDS DH BD1829