Lysyj Beats Karjakin, Leads Russian Championship
Just past the midway point in the Russian Championship, also called the Russian Superfinal because of these qualification steps, surprise frontrunner GM Igor Lysyj leads a bunched-up field with 3.5/5 after a fifth-round win over top-ranked GM Sergey Karjakin.The tournament in Kazan, Tartarstan, now in its 67th edition, is a single round robin, and the field has four games remaining. Today was a rest day, but the 10 GMs will play the next four days to determine a 2014 Russian champion.
All but three players are within one point of Lysyj. GM Ian Nepomniachtchi (the world champion's surprise second last month) and GM Dmitry Jakovenko trail by a half-point.
GMs Alexander Morozevich, Nikita Vitiugov, Vadim Zvjaginsev, and Denis Khismatullin are all on a level score of 2.5/5.
