Sensations are still going on at Men's Georgian 70th Chess Championship which is hosted by Tbilisi Chess Palace in Vera Park.
Levan Pantsulaia is the only chess player who continues fighting for medals. In the second round, Pantsulaia beat Konstantine Shanava 1,5:0,5 and won a right to participate in the semifinal.
It is worth mentioning that other semifinalists were found out without tie-breaks. Luka Paichadze (2483 points), Giga Kuparadze (2395) and Davit Zarkua (2356) played sensationally. They beat Tamaz Gelashvili (2608), Tornike Sanikidze (2559) and Giorgi Margvelashvili (2544).
Kuparadze and Paichadze won 2:0 and Zarkua won 1,5:0,5. In the first round, Zarkua, Kuparadze and Paichadze beat two champions of Georgia - Mikheil Mchedlishvili, Merab Gagunashvili and Davit Arutinyan, former member of the national team and one of the coaches of Georgian women's team.
January 17 is a day off.
Semifinal will start on January 18. Like matches for final and bronze medals, 4-4 classic matches will be held in semifinal.
1/4 final results: Zarkua - Margvelashvili 1,5:0,5; Paichadze - Gelashvili 2:0; Pantsulaia - Shanava 1,5:0,5; Sanikidze - Kuparadze 0:2;
Semifinal pairs: Zarkua - Paichadze, Pantsulaia - Kuparadze.


Roland Labuchidze