Leaders are fighting fiercely for the gold after the halfway mark of the Asian Youth Chess Championship at the Al Ain Convention Center in Al Ain, United Arab Emirates. In photo, Asian Chess Federation president Sheikh Sultan bin Khalifah Al Nahyan makes the ceremonial opening moves on top board as the opponents eye each other. From left are, Abu Dhabi Chess Club Chairman Hussein Abdullah Al-Khoury, UAE Chess Federation president Taryam Matar Taryam, Abu Dhabi Sports Council General Secretary H.E. Aref Al Awani and Asian Chess Federation General Secretary Hisham Al Taher.
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After six rounds, Indians set the pace in the youngest group, girls under 8. The top three are all from India, namely Parihar Kiyana, A.S. Sharvaanica and Bijesh Divi. The Russian Angelina Ambartsumyan, playing under the FIDE flag, Iranian Asma Hasanor and Vietnamese Vu Thi Yen Chi trail with 4.5 points each.
In the Girls under 10, Kristina Zavivaeva of Russia leads alone with 6 points followed by compoatriot Victoria Makhina and Bordoloi Pratitee of India with 5 points. Anna Ivaschenko of Russia, Ranganath Aadya of India and Nyanmdorj Enkhriikhen of Mongolia follow with 4.5 points each.
Chinese Gao Muziyan leads the Girls under-12 alone with 6 points followed by B. Kirthika of India with 5.5 points and compatriot V.C. Nivedito with 5 points.
Local hero Rouda Essa Alserkal of the UAE shares the lead at 5 points each with Russian Leila Tabermakova after they drew with each other in the sixth round. Russians Uliana Dudkina and Oksana Goriachkina, Niyousha Mohamadi of Iran and Kyrgyz Aimonchok Zhunusbekova are in striking distance with 4.5 points each.
FM Yana Zhapova of Russia leads the Girls under-16 with 5.5 points followed by WFM Ganta Kheerthi of India and WFM Valeria Kleymenova of Russia.
Laysa Latifah of Indonesia and G. Tejarwini of India share the lead with 5 points each in the Girls Under-18 section. WFM Elnaz Kaliakhmet of Kazakhstan, Zhanna Lesnykh of Russia and Luong Hoang Tu Lnh of Vietnam follow with 4.5 points each.
In the boys division, Le Phan Hoang Quan of Vietnam leads the under-8 alone with six points followed by Kapil Aarit of India with 5.5 points. Sharing third slot are Nguyen Xuan Phuong of Vietnam, Roman Shogdzhiev of Russia and Harry Wilford of Australia.
Ramtin Kakavand of Iran leads the boys under-10 with 6 points. There is a 3-way tie for second slot among Alimzhan Zhauynbay of Kazakhstan, Dimitriy Al Novodvoskiy of Russia and Mazen Fandi of Syria at 5 points apiece.
Mark Smiornov of Kazakhstan leads the under 12 with 5.5 points followed by Chen Zimul(Js) of China and Elsultan Kaliakhmet of Kazakhstan with 5 points each.
A three-way tie for first is being fought in the boys under-14 among FM Edgar Mamedov of Kazakhstan, Aleksey Prokhorov of Russia and Ragavesh Velavaa of India with 5 points each.
Similarly a 3-way tie for first ensued in the boys under-16 with FM Suresh Harsh of India and Russians IM Erden Khubukshanov and Kiril Otdelnov at 5 points each.
IM L.M.S.T. De Silva of leads the boys 18 grouop with 5 points. Three players share second slot with 4.5 points each, namely Zhang Di of China, FM Reja Neer Manon of Bangladesh and Aziz Degenbaev of Kyrgyzstan.