GM Sergei Azarov sole leader of the European Individual Chess Championship

GM Sergei Azarov jumped into sole first position at theEuropean Individual Chess Championship after he defeated the 2700 club member GM Naiditsch in round 7, scoring the only win on the top boards. GM Azarov prevailed in a Berlin defense, where after a few inaccurate moves by black in the middlegame, he reached a winning position and closed the game in 73 moves, taking the lead with 6,0/7.

All other top boards finished draw, thus leaving GM Laurent Fressinet, GM Yuriy Kuzubov, GM Gawain Jones, GM Ernesto Inarkiev, GM Denis Khismatullin, GM Maxime Vachier-Lagrave, GM Maxim Matlakov, GM Anton Korobov, plus the winners of this round GM Viktor Bologan, GM Vladimir Malakhov, GM Andrei Istratescu, and GM Vladimir Akopian with 5,5/7, half a point behind the leader.

There are 31 players with 5,0/7, just a point from the leader, while more than 150 players are within 1 point shot from the 23rd place which gives right to qualify for the World Cup!

Live games with analysis / Pairings round 7 /Results and standings round 7 / Pairings round 8

EICC standings round 7

1	GM	Azarov Sergei	BLR	2667	6
2	GM	Kuzubov Yuriy	UKR	2615	5.5
3	GM	Jones Gawain C B	ENG	2635	5.5
4	GM	Fressinet Laurent	FRA	2693	5.5
5	GM	Inarkiev Ernesto	RUS	2695	5.5
6	GM	Khismatullin Denis	RUS	2656	5.5
7	GM	Malakhov Vladimir	RUS	2705	5.5
8	GM	Vachier-Lagrave Maxime	FRA	2682	5.5
9	GM	Bologan Viktor	MDA	2687	5.5
10	GM	Matlakov Maxim	RUS	2632	5.5
11	GM	Korobov Anton	UKR	2679	5.5
12	GM	Akopian Vladimir	ARM	2684	5.5
13	GM	Istratescu Andrei	FRA	2633	5.5
14	GM	Naiditsch Arkadij	GER	2702	5
15	GM	Lenic Luka	SLO	2637	5
16	GM	Bacrot Etienne	FRA	2706	5
17	GM	Vitiugov Nikita	RUS	2709	5
18	GM	Caruana Fabiano	ITA	2767	5
19	GM	Jakovenko Dmitry	RUS	2729	5
20	GM	Gabrielian Artur	RUS	2554	5