The Week in Chess

Liren Ding leads the Biel Chess tournament by a point from Etienne Bacrot and Alexander Moiseenko who meet in the final round. If Bacrot-Moiseenko is decisive then Liren Ding will have to beat Maxime Vachier-Lagrave to win the tournament. If there is a tie there will be a rapid playoff match or mini-tournament to decide a winner on Friday.

Moiseenko praised his second Alexander Zubarov for the choice of variation against the Gruenfeld. Moiseenko provoked terrible dark squared weaknesses in a bishops of opposite colour bishops position and Maxime Vachier-Lagrave couldn't do anything to save the game.

Liren Ding seemed to be very close to a win against Ian Nepomniachtchi at least in practical terms with a terribly dangerous passed c-pawn. Somehow Nepomniachtchi escaped into a heavy piece ending a pawn down which was drawn.

Richard Rapport and Etienne Bacrot drew a lively Four Knights Rubinstein which eventually saw the pieces traded to a draw.

Round 9 of 10 Standings: Ding Liren 14pts, Bacrot, Moiseenko 13pts, Vachier-Lagrave 11pts, Nepomniachtchi 9pts, Rapport 5pts.

Round 10 Pairings Thur 1st Aug 2013 1pm: Bacrot-Moiseenko, Vachier-Lagrave-Ding Liren, Nepomniachtchi-Rapport.