BCC Round 8: draw at the top, GM comebacks and an Easter egg on board 2

The tournament entered its final stretch and dying hours as this penultimate round will be followed in quick order by the dreaded 9:00 game on Monday morning.

The game on board 1 between the leader Evgeny Romanov and Babu Lalit was wrapped up peacefully after a couple of hours.  The position stayed well within drawing parameters and left both opponents undefeated in this tournament, with two and three draws respectively.

On board 2 GM Stephen Gordon was facing the round’s surprise package in the person of Ern Ang.  The young FM from Malaysia chalked his sixth successive win after his Mancunian opponent had missed the tactical shot 24… Bg3, which won the exchange and then some.  

On the third table, Indian GM Ganguly carefully nursed his advantage - until he didn’t.  The complications arising from his Rook sacrifice 35…. Rxf2 resulted in a drawn position, whereas doubling Rooks on the f-file first would instead have given Black a decisive advantage.  

Michael Concio outlasted James Morris in a position where White’s Queen and Knight decided against Black’s two extra pawns and lone Queen.  

The face-off between untitled Latvian Batashevs Arsens, 2176, and IM Bersamina from the Philippines was in equilibrium until the time scramble, with 34. Rdd3 landing White in a passive position causing the loss of a piece.  

Other winners on this round include GMs Bernadskyi, Short and Gustafsson, who called upon a time-honoured mixture of knowledge, experience and guile to move up the ranking table.

Games: https://www.chess.com/ events/2025-bangkok-open/games 
Credits: www.bangkokchess.com
Picture database: https://lightboxproductions.pixieset.com/bangkokchessclubopen2025/
Open section: https://chess-results.com/tnr1137279.aspx?lan=1
Challenger section: https://chess-results.com/tnr1137307.aspx?lan=1