What an escape!!
That is the minimum of with I can express my astonishment of the way the game between AbdelAziz ElMahmoud and Mohamad ElHabash ended. After some uncertainty of play in the opening and the subsequent middle game phase, Mohamad succeeded in holding the initiative. The exchange of mistakes and imprecise moves increased due to the volatile nature of the position, but, again, Mohamad succeeded firmly in maintaining his initiative and by sacrificing the exchange he started collecting a lot of white pawns, reaching a more than winning position, as it was sufficient to pay attention to some small tricks and the point will be in the bag. One imprecise move, and the clever AbdelAziz get profit from it: The white king was in a stalemate position, surrounded by the black heavy pieces, without any white pawns on the board. Suffice for AbdelAziz to get rid of his rook and queen, and that what he succeeded in doing it, and Voilà: Stalemate. What a finish for a much disputed game.
After transposition of moves, a Closed Sicilian is reached between the 2 x-champions Faisal Khairallah and Antoine Kassis. Each one proceeded in a thematic way: Faisal prepared his initiative on the king side, and Antoine on the queen side. The later one was reduced to the minimum by Faisal’s paly, while his one was growing towards Antoine’s king. As every experienced player knows, playing defensively and passively is costly. With very precise play, and with petite combinaison, à la Capablanca, one after another, Faisal succeeded in collecting a couple of important pawns. The counter-play generated by Antoine came too late to hold the position.
It seems that Tarek Moudallal starts climbing the leader in the standing (touch wood) after beating Gen. Hassan Jouni with the same variation that he used to smash Ahmad Najjar. Gen. Jouni handled badly the opening, and killer pin by Tarek’s pieces against White’s knight netted the later a piece, and after a few moves, the game point.
The exchange Slav is reputed as a dull line that gives nothing for both players (which I strongly disagree). After a mass of exchanges of pieces and pawns in Giorgio Kaloust – Mohamad Farhat encounter, both players reached a bishop-ending, when Giorgio tried to make something with his lonely bishop, but in vein. The split of the game point was the normal result.
The Grand Prix attack, adopted by Mahdi Kaouri against Ahmad Najjar’ Siclian didn’t bring a success. Even after sacrificing an exchange for a pawn, Ahmad played strongly, as usual, in repulsing his Mahdi’s attack, and even he succeeded by snatching the initiative from his opponent. With precise moves, he forced his opponent to resign in a hopeless position.
As you will notice, dear reader, from the pairing bellow, with all the respect to the other players and the importance of their games, the round 9 encounter between the current champion Amr El-Jawish and the leader the x-champion Faisal Khairallal will be the focal point of the event, with a 10,000 volt Amperes on the nerves of the nerves of each one of them. Can’t wait to see it.
Click here to download the games
Ranking Crosstable after Round 8 |
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Rank | SNo. | Name | Rtg | FED | Pts | Res. | |
1 | 3 | FM | Khairallah Faisal | 2251 | LBN | 6 | 0 |
2 | 5 | FM | El Jawich Amro | 2243 | LBN | 5½ | ½ |
3 | 8 | FM | Najjar Ahmad | 2312 | LBN | 5½ | ½ |
4 | 4 | FM | Kassis Antoine | 2136 | LBN | 4 | 0 |
5 | 9 | Moudallal Tarek | 2026 | LBN | 4 | 0 | |
6 | 10 | Kaouri Mahdi | 2113 | LBN | 4 | 0 | |
7 | 1 | CM | Abdulaziz Mahmoud | 2126 | LBN | 4 | 0 |
8 | 7 | Habash Mohamad | 1883 | LBN | 2 | 0 | |
9 | 2 | Kaloust Giorgio | 1542 | LBN | 2 | 0 | |
10 | 6 | Farhat Mohamed | 1792 | LBN | 2 | 0 | |
11 | 11 | Jouni Hassan | 1792 | LBN | 1 | 0 |
Round 1 on 2016/11/23 at 18:30 | ||||||||
SNo. | Name | Rtg | Res. | Name | Rtg | SNo. | ||
1 | CM | Abdulaziz Mahmoud | 2126 | 1 - 0 | Jouni Hassan | 1792 | 11 | |
2 | Kaloust Giorgio | 1542 | 0 - 1 | Kaouri Mahdi | 2113 | 10 | ||
3 | FM | Khairallah Faisal | 2251 | ½ - ½ | FM | Najjar Ahmad | 2312 | 8 |
4 | FM | Kassis Antoine | 2136 | ½ - ½ | Habash Mohamad | 1883 | 7 | |
5 | FM | El Jawich Amro | 2243 | 1 - 0 | Farhat Mohamed | 1792 | 6 | |
9 | Moudallal Tarek | 2026 | Bye | 0 | ||||
Round 2 on 2016/11/24 at 18:30 | ||||||||
SNo. | Name | Rtg | Res. | Name | Rtg | SNo. | ||
11 | Jouni Hassan | 1792 | 0 - 1 | Farhat Mohamed | 1792 | 6 | ||
7 | Habash Mohamad | 1883 | ½ - ½ | FM | El Jawich Amro | 2243 | 5 | |
8 | FM | Najjar Ahmad | 2312 | ½ - ½ | FM | Kassis Antoine | 2136 | 4 |
9 | Moudallal Tarek | 2026 | 0 - 1 | FM | Khairallah Faisal | 2251 | 3 | |
1 | CM | Abdulaziz Mahmoud | 2126 | ½ - ½ | Kaloust Giorgio | 1542 | 2 | |
10 | Kaouri Mahdi | 2113 | Bye | 0 | ||||
Round 3 on 2016/11/25 at 18:30 | ||||||||
SNo. | Name | Rtg | Res. | Name | Rtg | SNo. | ||
2 | Kaloust Giorgio | 1542 | 1 - 0 | Jouni Hassan | 1792 | 11 | ||
3 | FM | Khairallah Faisal | 2251 | 1 - 0 | Kaouri Mahdi | 2113 | 10 | |
4 | FM | Kassis Antoine | 2136 | 1 - 0 | Moudallal Tarek | 2026 | 9 | |
5 | FM | El Jawich Amro | 2243 | ½ - ½ | FM | Najjar Ahmad | 2312 | 8 |
6 | Farhat Mohamed | 1792 | ½ - ½ | Habash Mohamad | 1883 | 7 | ||
1 | CM | Abdulaziz Mahmoud | 2126 | Bye | 0 | |||
Round 4 on 2016/11/27 at 16:00 | ||||||||
SNo. | Name | Rtg | Res. | Name | Rtg | SNo. | ||
11 | Jouni Hassan | 1792 | 1 - 0 | Habash Mohamad | 1883 | 7 | ||
8 | FM | Najjar Ahmad | 2312 | 1 - 0 | Farhat Mohamed | 1792 | 6 | |
9 | Moudallal Tarek | 2026 | - - + | FM | El Jawich Amro | 2243 | 5 | |
10 | Kaouri Mahdi | 2113 | ½ - ½ | FM | Kassis Antoine | 2136 | 4 | |
1 | CM | Abdulaziz Mahmoud | 2126 | ½ - ½ | FM | Khairallah Faisal | 2251 | 3 |
2 | Kaloust Giorgio | 1542 | Bye | 0 | ||||
Round 5 on 2016/11/28 at 18:30 | ||||||||
SNo. | Name | Rtg | Res. | Name | Rtg | SNo. | ||
3 | FM | Khairallah Faisal | 2251 | 1 - 0 | Kaloust Giorgio | 1542 | 2 | |
4 | FM | Kassis Antoine | 2136 | ½ - ½ | CM | Abdulaziz Mahmoud | 2126 | 1 |
5 | FM | El Jawich Amro | 2243 | ½ - ½ | Kaouri Mahdi | 2113 | 10 | |
6 | Farhat Mohamed | 1792 | 0 - 1 | Moudallal Tarek | 2026 | 9 | ||
7 | Habash Mohamad | 1883 | 0 - 1 | FM | Najjar Ahmad | 2312 | 8 | |
11 | Jouni Hassan | 1792 | Bye | 0 | ||||
Round 6 on 2016/11/29 at 18:30 | ||||||||
SNo. | Name | Rtg | Res. | Name | Rtg | SNo. | ||
11 | Jouni Hassan | 1792 | 0 - 1 | FM | Najjar Ahmad | 2312 | 8 | |
9 | Moudallal Tarek | 2026 | 1 - 0 | Habash Mohamad | 1883 | 7 | ||
10 | Kaouri Mahdi | 2113 | 1 - 0 | Farhat Mohamed | 1792 | 6 | ||
1 | CM | Abdulaziz Mahmoud | 2126 | 0 - 1 | FM | El Jawich Amro | 2243 | 5 |
2 | Kaloust Giorgio | 1542 | 0 - 1 | FM | Kassis Antoine | 2136 | 4 | |
3 | FM | Khairallah Faisal | 2251 | Bye | 0 | |||
Round 7 on 2016/11/30 at 18:30 | ||||||||
SNo. | Name | Rtg | Res. | Name | Rtg | SNo. | ||
3 | FM | Khairallah Faisal | 2251 | 1 - 0 | Jouni Hassan | 1792 | 11 | |
5 | FM | El Jawich Amro | 2243 | 1 - 0 | Kaloust Giorgio | 1542 | 2 | |
6 | Farhat Mohamed | 1792 | 0 - 1 | CM | Abdulaziz Mahmoud | 2126 | 1 | |
7 | Habash Mohamad | 1883 | 0 - 1 | Kaouri Mahdi | 2113 | 10 | ||
8 | FM | Najjar Ahmad | 2312 | 0 - 1 | Moudallal Tarek | 2026 | 9 | |
4 | FM | Kassis Antoine | 2136 | Bye | 0 | |||
Round 8 on 2016/12/02 at 18:30 | ||||||||
SNo. | Name | Rtg | Res. | Name | Rtg | SNo. | ||
11 | Jouni Hassan | 1792 | 0 - 1 | Moudallal Tarek | 2026 | 9 | ||
10 | Kaouri Mahdi | 2113 | 0 - 1 | FM | Najjar Ahmad | 2312 | 8 | |
1 | CM | Abdulaziz Mahmoud | 2126 | ½ - ½ | Habash Mohamad | 1883 | 7 | |
2 | Kaloust Giorgio | 1542 | ½ - ½ | Farhat Mohamed | 1792 | 6 | ||
3 | FM | Khairallah Faisal | 2251 | 1 - 0 | FM | Kassis Antoine | 2136 | 4 |
5 | FM | El Jawich Amro | 2243 | Bye | 0 | |||
Round 9 on 2016/12/03 at 18.30 | ||||||||
SNo. | Name | Rtg | Res. | Name | Rtg | SNo. | ||
4 | FM | Kassis Antoine | 2136 | - | Jouni Hassan | 1792 | 11 | |
5 | FM | El Jawich Amro | 2243 | - | FM | Khairallah Faisal | 2251 | 3 |
7 | Habash Mohamad | 1883 | - | Kaloust Giorgio | 1542 | 2 | ||
8 | FM | Najjar Ahmad | 2312 | - | CM | Abdulaziz Mahmoud | 2126 | 1 |
9 | Moudallal Tarek | 2026 | - | Kaouri Mahdi | 2113 | 10 | ||
6 | Farhat Mohamed | 1792 | Bye | 0 | ||||
Round 10 on 2016/12/04 at 16:00 | ||||||||
SNo. | Name | Rtg | Res. | Name | Rtg | SNo. | ||
11 | Jouni Hassan | 1792 | - | Kaouri Mahdi | 2113 | 10 | ||
1 | CM | Abdulaziz Mahmoud | 2126 | - | Moudallal Tarek | 2026 | 9 | |
2 | Kaloust Giorgio | 1542 | - | FM | Najjar Ahmad | 2312 | 8 | |
3 | FM | Khairallah Faisal | 2251 | - | Farhat Mohamed | 1792 | 6 | |
4 | FM | Kassis Antoine | 2136 | - | FM | El Jawich Amro | 2243 | 5 |
7 | Habash Mohamad | 1883 | Bye | 0 | ||||
Round 11 on 2016/12/05 at 18:30 | ||||||||
SNo. | Name | Rtg | Res. | Name | Rtg | SNo. | ||
5 | FM | El Jawich Amro | 2243 | - | Jouni Hassan | 1792 | 11 | |
6 | Farhat Mohamed | 1792 | - | FM | Kassis Antoine | 2136 | 4 | |
7 | Habash Mohamad | 1883 | - | FM | Khairallah Faisal | 2251 | 3 | |
9 | Moudallal Tarek | 2026 | - | Kaloust Giorgio | 1542 | 2 | ||
10 | Kaouri Mahdi | 2113 | - | CM | Abdulaziz Mahmoud | 2126 | 1 | |
8 | FM | Najjar Ahmad | 2312 | Bye | 0 |