Round 2 report

Another exciting round! This time every game ended with hard fought draws.

 

Short-Grandelius

A sharp Sicilian were both players had chances. Short looked like pulling the longest straw, but after the complications only a drawn endgame was left. 

 

 

 

 

 

Despite an early queen exchange the play was sharp. Keymer’s bishop pair could eventually even out Bjerre’s extra doubled pawn and no winner could be found. 

 

Sarin’s early pressure became an extra pawn, but at the cost of a bad overall pawn structure. Van Foreest defended admirably and managed to enter a drawn knight endgame, despite being two pants down. 

 

An early h4 showed white’s ambitions, but Jones defended with ease. Black then sacrificed the exchange to try and get the initiative. But Bacrot gave back the material and a drawn opposite coloured bishop endgame shared the point.