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Rublesvsky Leads Aerosvit 2006

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Rublesvsky Leads Aerosvit 2006

Sergei Rublevsky defeated Viktor Bologan to take a half-point lead at the 2006 Aerosvit tournament in Ukraine. Rublevsky has a 4.5/6 score, a half-point ahead of Bologan. Alexander Grischuk, Vassily Ivanchuk and Andrei Volokitin share third place with 3.5 points.

The Aerosvit tournament features 12 grandmasters, all of whom feature ratings above 2600. Other participands include Alexei Shirov, young star Sergey Karjakin, former FIDE champion Ruslan Ponomariov, and Indian GM Pentela Harikrishna.

Karjakin and Ponomariov have disappointed thusfar, each scoring just 2 points to share 10th and last place with local GM Alexander Areshchenko. With the three - all Ukrainian - at the back of the pack, Volokitin is the only Ukrainian likely to contend for the title.

We will provide complete coverage of the conclusion to Aerosvit 2006 in next week's edition. For now, here is Rublevsky's key win over Bologan in the sixth round:

White: Bologan, V (2666)
Black: Rublevsky, S (2687)
Aerosvit 2006, Round 6
1. d4 d5 2. c4 dxc4 3. e4 e5 4. Nf3 exd4 5. Bxc4 Bb4+ 6. Nbd2 Nc6 7. O-O Nf6 8. e5 Nd5 9. Nb3 Nb6 10. Bb5 Qd5 11. Nbxd4 O-O 12. Bxc6 bxc6 13. Qc2 c5 14. Nf5 Qe6 15. Ng3 Qg6 16. Qxg6 hxg6 17. a3 Ba5 18. Bd2 Bxd2 19. Nxd2 c4 20. Rac1 Be6 21. f4 Rfd8 22. Rf2 Rd4 23. Nb1 Na4 24. Nc3 Nc5 25. Rcc2 Nd3 26. Nge2 Rdd8 27. Rf1 Rab8 28. Rd1 Bf5 29. Rcd2 Re8 30. b4 g5 31. fxg5 Rbd8 32. Ng3 Bg4 33. Rf1 Rxe5 34. h3 Be6 35. h4 Rd4 36. g6 fxg6 37. Re2 Rxe2 38. Ngxe2 Rxh4 39. Nb5 c5 40. Nc7 Bg4 41. Nc3 cxb4 42. axb4 Nxb4 43. Rf4 g5 44. Rxc4 Bd7 45. Rc5 Rg4 46. N7d5 Nxd5 47. Nxd5 Rd4 48. Ne7+ Kf7 49. Nc6 Bxc6 50. Rxc6 a5 51. Rc5 a4 52. Rxg5 a3 53. Ra5 Rd3 54. Kh2 Ke6 55. g3 Rd2+ 56. Kh3 a2 57. Kh4 Kd6 58. g4 Kc6 59. Ra8 Kb6 60. Ra3 Kb5 61. Ra7 Kb4 0-1