Another Double Round... then the Results after Nine Rounds

Chessplayers all know that some luck is needed to win a tournament and sometimes the question is how or whether you can make it! And determination sometimes does count.

Sergei Tiviakov may have been leading but his play is that of a man badly out of form. And his closest rival Thomas Luther is now also riding his luck and winning from lost and drawn positions!

Languishing in the cellar, Dr Wong Meng Kong saved his best, as often the case, for Tiviakov and with the top seed literally on the ropes no one knows what happened to the knock out blow that never came.

So Tiviakov continues to lead with 7/8 and Luther remains second with 6.5/8.

In third is Rolando Nolte who on 5.5/8 after a tense, perhaps even unfortunate, draw with Ramnath Bhuvanesh keeps his chances for his final GM norm (and title) alive but now needs to win both his remaining games.

Niaz Murshed keeps fourth place on 5/8, Goh Wei Ming is in fifth on 4.5/8 and Mas Hafizulhelmi has 4/9 to be in sixth place.

With almost no exceptions the games have been hard fought, brilliant moves and superlative efforts and sadly also terrible blunders with resulting heartbreaking losses.

For two suffering veterans, it was really a hard day for Oliver Dimakiling who lost both his games but on the flip side perhaps simply wonderful for a much improved Alex Wohl who won both his games.

So Wohl joins Bhuvanesh in seventh and eighth places with 3.5/9 and 3.5/8 respectively, Padmini Rout is alone in ninth place on 3/8 and Dimakiling with 2.5/8 is tenth while Wong is 0/8 to be in eighth place.

All details are at http://chess-results.com/tnr103856.aspx?art=2&lan=1&wi=821