Azerbaijani grandmaster Aydin Suleymanli has become the sole leader of the prestigious Tata Steel Challengers tournament, which is being held in Wijk aan Zee, the Netherlands.
According to Idman.Biz, in the third round Suleymanli defeated Eline Roebers of the Netherlands and, with 2.5 points, moved into outright first place in the standings.
The Azerbaijani representative is being chased by a group of seven players on two points each. Among them is a world chess legend, 56-year-old Ukrainian grandmaster Vasyl Ivanchuk. In the fourth round, Suleymanli will face China’s Lu Miaoyi.
It should be noted that the winner of the Challengers tournament will earn the right to play in the main event of the Wijk aan Zee festival next year, the Tata Steel Masters. Last year, the Azerbaijani grandmaster shared first and second place in the Challengers, but finished second on tie-breaks.
Teymur Tushiyev
