Erstwhile co-leaders GMs Nodirbek Yakubboev of Uzbekistan and Xu Yinglun of China drew their fourth round match to allow three other players to catch up and share the lead with 3.5 points each, namely (above photos from left) GMs Lu Shanglei of China, Ehsan Ghaem Maghami of Iran and Temur Kuybokarov of Australia.
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Xu used the Sicilian Defense, played aggressively and offered a draw after the 36th move (diagram below) which Yakubboev accepted.
Xu is a graduate of Electrical and Computer Engineering and became GM in 2017. Yakubboev is 3-time Uzbekistan champion. He won the Uzbekistan championship again in 2020, the year he became a GM. In 2018, Yakubboev won the board 2 gold medal in the World Youth Chess Olympiad as a member of the champion Uzbekistan team. He has already qualified for the World Cup as runner-up in the Zone 3.4 Zonal this month in Tashkent.
GM Kuybokarov used the Sicilian Defense against Indonesian GM Novendra Priasmoro and gained the advantage of the Bishop pair and two pawns. After advancing his kingside pawns, Kuybokarov sacrificed his Rook for Bishop on the 40th move and Priasmoro resigned a move later.
Born in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, Kuybokarov moved to Australia in 2018 and became Australian champion in 2019 and 2020. He recently won the Oceania Zone 3.6 Zonal Championship and has qualified to the World Cup this July.
GM Lu Shanglei, former world junior champion in 2014, played white in a Ruy Lopez game and sacrificed a Knight for two center pawns on the 22nd move (see diagram below after 22.Nc4xd6!) to gain control of the center. The Chinese GM penetrated with his Rook and forced resignation on the 26th move.
GM Ehsan Ghaem Magham, former champion of Iran with 13 titles, crushed the King’s Indian Defense of untitled Bobir Sattarov of Uzbekistan in 27 moves (see diagram below after 26… Qd8-c7?). There followed 27. exd5! and Sattarov resigned since after exchanges on e1, he will lose the Rook to Qc3+!.
Twelve players follow with 3 points each in the race for seven qualification slots to the World Cup this July in Sochi, Russia. See standings after rd 4. At stake in the Asian Championship are $16,000 in cash prizes.
See previous coverage of Asian Continental Hybrid Chess Championship:
Rd 3: Yakubboev, Xu Share Lead in Asian Continental Hybrid Chess Championship
Rd 2: Nine Players Share Early Lead in Asian Continental Championship