Top seed GM Parham Maghsoodloo of Iran (above right) beat erstwhile co-leader compatriot GM Ehsan Ghaem Maghami (above left) to throw the race wide open with eight players tied for the lead at the halfway mark of the Asian Continental Hybrid Chess Championship.
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Maghsoodloo and Ghaem Maghami played over the board as is allowed by the hybrid regulations if players in the same venue are paired together. Parham essayed the Reti opening and needed only 20 moves in 2-1/2 hours to win a piece and the game.
(left to right) GMs Amin Tabatabaei, Lu Shanglei and Xu Yinglun
Tied with 4 points each after 5 rounds are GMs Maghsoodloo and Amin Tabatabaei of Iran, Lu Shanglei and Xu Yinglun of China, Temur Kuybokarov of Australia, Nodirbek Yakubboev and Shamsiddin Vokhidov of Uzbekistan and IM Mohamad Ervan of Indonesia.
(left to right) GMs Temu Kuybokarov, Nodirbek Yakubboev and Shamsiddin Vokhidov
GM Amin Tabatabaei of Iran essayed the Giuoco Piano game against IM Lou Yiping of China. The Iranian sacrificed his inactive Bishop on b2 to mobilize his Rook for a fierce attack (see diagram below after Ra3-g3!). He followed with a Knight sacrifice on the 25th move and Black resigned on move 33.
Vokhidov turned back the Catalan Opening of GM Urtnasan Nasanjargal of Mongolia in 46 moves. The Uzbek penetrated with his Rook on the open file and harvested pawns on the second rank to emerge two connected passed pawns ahead for a won endgame.
In a fighting game, GM Temur Kuybokarov used the Fried Liver Attack against the Two Knights Defense of GM Nodirbek Yakubboev. After wild exchanges they reached a Rook and Pawn endgame and drew by repetition in 56 moves.
Compatriots Lou Shanglei and Xu Yinglun played a symmetrical opening and drew quickly on the 17th move by repetition of position. In screenshots above are views of the Shanghai venue under the watchful eye of Arbiter IA K.K. Chan of Hong Kong.
IM Mohamad Ervan of Indonesia (photo above) smashed the Sicilian Najdorf of IM Raymond Song of Chinese Taipei in 48 moves. Ervan castled on the opposite wing and weathered the attack to emerge two pawns up with a won endgame.
Sri Lankan players, from left, Ranindu and Minul, and at right Susal and Theekshana.
FIDE Master LMST De Silva of Sri Lanka beat higher rated FIDE Master Amartuvshin Ganzorig (2350) of Mongolia in a well-defended game. With this point, Susal comes to 3 points just one point behind the leaders.
Minul Sanjula Doluweera of University of Colombo and Theekshana Denuwan also had a good day where they beat the lower rated Tenuunbold Battulga (1753) of Mongolia and Romero Gladimir Chester (1519) of Philippines convincingly.
See previous coverage of Asian Continental Hybrid Chess Championship:
Rd 4: 5 GMs Share Lead in Asian Continental Hybrid Chess Championship – Asian Chess
Rd 3: Yakubboev, Xu Share Lead in Asian Continental Hybrid Chess Championship
Rd 2: Nine Players Share Early Lead in Asian Continental Championship