Total domination

Serbia Chess Championship – Round 9
Ivan Ivanisevic with 8.5 points storming through the competition
Report by Chessdom

Grandmaster Ivan Ivanisevic is crushing one opponent after another at the 2009 Serbia Chess Championship, having conceded only one draw over nine rounds, for a fantastic run that leaves him two points clear ahead of the nearest follower. GM Sinisa Drazic, who scored fine victories against Grandmasters Rajkovic and Sedlak in the recent rounds, is the only player with the glimpse of hope of catching Ivanisevic. The two are meeting in Monday’s 10th round.

The Championship, taking place on 2-15th April in the city of Kragujevac, is sporting unusually high rate of decided games. In the last two rounds there were only three draws from fourteen games. GM Branko Damljanovic is certainly in this spirit, with four wins, five losses and no draws on his account.

Standings after 9 rounds:

Round 9 standings:
1. GM Ivanisevic Ivan 2625 – 8.5
2. GM Drazic Sinisa 2533 – 6.5
3. GM Perunovic Milos 2580 – 6.0
4. GM Pikula Dejan 2568 – 5.5
5-7. GM Vuckovic Bojan 2572, GM Miladinovic Igor 2571 and GM Antic Dejan 2513 – 5.0
8. GM Bogosavljevic Boban 2526 – 4.5
9. GM Damljanovic Branko 2573 – 4.0
10. GM Rajkovic Dusan 2486 – 3.5
11-12. Sarenac Ivan 2320 and GM Sedlak Nikola 2572 – 3.0
13. IM Zlatic Mihailo 2463 – 2.5
14. FM Popovic Aleksandar M 2325 – 1.0