Biel: All draws in round seven

Despite a number of tactical skirmishes all games ended level in the Biel Young Masters. So the leader board remains unchanged with only two rounds to go.
Fabiano Caruana retains his slim lead ahead of a chasing pack of five.

The seventh round played on the 26th of July ended as follows.

NameRatingCountryResultNameRatingCountryNo. of Moves
Maxime Vachier-LagraveFRA27230.5-0.5Evgeny TomashevskyRUS270838
Maxim RodshteinISR26090.5-0.5David HowellENG261652
Parimarjan NegiIND26150.5-0.5Dmitry AndreikinRUS265028
Fabiano CaruanaITA26970.5-0.5Anish GiriNED267232
Wesley SoPHI26740.5-0.5Nguyen Ngoc Truong SonVIE261726

Vachier-Lagrave maintained slight pressure, but just at the point where he finally won a pawn he acquiesed to a draw as he was faced with his opponent's fortress with opposite bishops.

Maxim Rodshtein had a promising position as his knight was superior to Howell's bishop with the centre staying closed. The Englishman however knuckled down and held the draw.

Negi generated a strong-looking attack and Andreikin had to defend very carefully to fend off the Indian's threats.

Caruana-Giri was one of those Catalans where Black has a slight space disadvantage but no weaknesses. Giri was able to gradually equalize.

The all Asian struggle So-Nguyen Ngoc Truong Son was the sharpest game of all. The Vietnamese player won a pawn with a neat combination, but So didn't panic and was able to create complications. At the end of the tactical mêlée a draw was agreed as the Phillipino wizard was about to regain his material.

SeedNameCountryRatingPoints
1stFabiano CaruanaITA26974.5
2nd-6thMaxime Vachier-LagraveFRA27234
2nd-6thEvgeny TomashevskyRUS27084
2nd-6thWesley SoPHI26744
2nd-6thDmitry AndreikinRUS26504
2nd-6thMaxim RodshteinISR26094
7thNguyen Ngoc Truong SonVIE26173.5
8thAnish GiriNED26723
9th-10thDavid HowellENG26162
9th-10thParimarjan NegiIND26152

The Italian Fabiano Caruana still leads, but he will surely need to win at least one more game (if he is to be sure of the title) as he is only half-a-point ahead of five players.

For more information see the Official site

Only a draw with White today for the leader @ official site

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