UAE national team and Sharjah Club player, Salem Abdul Rahman, achieved a significant victory in the eighth and penultimate round of the Masters competition in the Sharjah International Chess Championship, after defeating his Czech competitor, Engwin Tai.
The Iranian top seeds, Daneshvar Baradiya, and the American, Sam Shackland, drew in the same round. Iranian Daneshvar Pradia, American Sam Shackland, and Russian Morzin Volodar lead the Masters category with 6 points each after the end of the eighth round, and 7 players come in second place with 5.5 points, led by Salem Abdel Rahman.
The eighth round of the Challenge Championship for those ranked under 2,500 points witnessed a draw between the Indian leader Divya Deshmukh and the Russian Vladimir Burmakin, the Indian Nitish Belorkar lost from the Russian Leah Garifullina, and Jegor Lashkin from Moldova tied with the Chinese Wang Yanbin.
Top seeded Indian Arjun Eregaisi also drew with Serbia's Alexei Sarana, and Iran's Amin Tabatabai and Aiden Soleimani from Azerbaijan. India's Aravinda Chitambaram suffered his second defeat in the tournament against Russian Morzin Volodar.
Iran's Parham Maqsoudloo defeated Mohammad Moradli from Azerbaijan, and Buranak Abhamio from India drew with his Chinese counterpart Yu Yanji. In the Future Championship for Promising Players, Alizadeh Akshin from Azerbaijan defeated his Filipino counterpart, Santiago German, and Yunus Muhammad Zadeh from Azerbaijan drew with Indian Samart Gorai.
