The fifth round of Donostia Chess Festival was welcomed with a sunny weather on, however all the matches of A and B tournament were quite tense. Rating favorites Vugar Gashimov and Ruslan Ponomariov were defeated by Viktor Laznichka and Andrei Volokitin in classical time and had to leave the tournament. Leinier Dominguez Perez and Julio Granda Zuniga made two draws but Cuban player proved to be stronger in rapid and defeated his opponent with 2:0 score. Alexander Moiseenko and Etienne Bacrot played a very tough match. Opponents made two draws in the games with classical control, exchanged the punches in rapid games, made two more draws in blitz games and had to play Armageddon.

Armageddon match consists of two blitz games, played simultaneously. During the drawing of lots Alexander Moiseenko chose black pieces and 5 minutes in both games. Etienne Bacrot had 6 minutes and white pieces in both game but had to score 1.5 points in the match in order to win. The first game was drawn quite fast and Moiseenko, who needed to make a half a point, managed to mate his opponent in the second game.  As a result two Ukrainian participants Alexander Moiseenko and Andrey Volokitin will play against Viktor Laznicka and Leinier Dominguez Perez  in semi-final.

The last round was held in B-group today. Four out five matches were finished in classic – Loek Van Wely, Ivan Cheparinov, Tigran Gharamian, Christian Bauer won their matches, while Antoaneta Stefanova and Andrei Shchekachev drew both games and had to play tie-breaks. Former World Champion lost the match with 1.5:0.5 score in rapid.

Andrei Volokitin about his match with Ruslan Ponomariov:  “The match was very tough and both games were complicated, In the first game I sacrificed a pawn but my opponent didn’t defend very well  and I’ve got a very big advantage. In the second game suddenly  I  managed to make a draw . I think Ruslan could have played stronger, I think he played too fast in one moment.  Basque system is very interesting and not typical. It has right to exist.  I like to play chess in general, so I feel comfortable to play so many games. The more the better!”