JOIN USIn his fourth-round game, Rombaldoni opted for the closed Catalan set-up against GM Tamir Nabaty of Israel, who went for a tactic on the 17th move and won a pawn and a Rook for two minor pieces. But with a clever pawn move on the 20th turn, Rombaldoni exchanged queens and tilted the game in his favour.
In a Rook and pawn ending that ensued later, Nabaty was forced to resign on the 44th move, unable to stop a black pawn from reaching the queening square.
In a top board game, Spanish Grandmaster Ivan Lopez Salgado opted for the Advance Caro Kann against Polish IM Piorun Kacper. Salgado soon obtained a huge space advantage and won a pawn too but Kacper defended the Bishop ending very cleverly to hold a creditable draw in 52 moves.
Important results (round four):
Open: Ivan Salgado Lopez (3.5) drew Piorun Kacper (3.5); Tamir Nabaty (2.5) lt to Axel Rombaldoni (4); Ray Robson (2.5) lt to Aleksey Goganov (3.5); Milos Roganovic (3) drew Ter-Sahakyan Samvel (3); Urkedal Frode (3) drew Dariusz Swiercz (3); Rasulov Vugar Ural Oglu (3) drew Vladislav Kovalev (3); Sasa Martinovic (3) drew Stany GA (3); Sahaj Grover (3.5) bt Adrian-Marian Petrisor (2.5); Lalith Babu MR (3) drew Janev Tihomir (3); Sanan Sjugirov (3) bt Lukas Kuchynka (2.5); Maxim Matlakov (2.5) drew Priyadharshan K (2.5); Narayanan Srinath (2) lt to Aleksandr Shimanov (3); Robert Hovhannisyan (3) bt Junta Ikeda (2); Nils Grandelius (2.5) drew Barbosa Evandro Amorim (2.5); Aditya Udeshi (2) lt to Sethuraman SP (3).
Girls: Padmini Rout (3.5) drew Nazi Paikidze (3.5); Irina Bulmaga (3.5) drew Cori T Deysi (3.5); Olga Girya (4) bt Kazimova Narmin Nizami Qizi (3); Guliskhan Nakhbayeva (3.5) bt Inna Agrest (2); Bhakti Kulkarni (2.5) Deur Saric Zrinka (2.5); Eric Jovana (2.5) drew Carole Forestier (2.5); Ozturk Kubra (2.5) Aisa Imeeva (2.5); Nandhidhaa PV (3) bt Hoang Thi Nhu Y (2); Pon N Krithika (2.5) drew Julia Dogodkina (2.5); Elena Semenova (3) bt Carla Heredia Serrano (2); Terao Juliana Sayumi (2.5) drew Michelle Catherina P (2.5).