The best game of the 4th round, by the opinion of Alexander Kalinin, became a duel between Aghasaryan Robert (Armenia) and Pavel Maletin (Russia). The quiet course of a duel was changed by unexpected Black's 25th move.

One cannot help, but describe the dramatic course of the fourth round game between the Greek grandmaster Stelios Halkias and Belarus' Vitaly Meribanov.

By the 31st move both players were in extreme time trouble. Both had mere few seconds left on the clocks (plus 30 seconds time-increment). Halkias, playing white, had plenty of quality and an excellent position. White rooks were positioned on the seventh rank threatening the black king. The queen was aiming in the same direction. For the black, the only chance was to use its passed pawns on а3 and b4. However, the Greek had an opportunity to practically end the game in one move. A pretty move placing a rook on the sixth rank would have made it impossible for the opponent to avoid mate threats.

After the four rounds of the RSSU Cup Moscow Open 2013 only one of the tournaments has a sole leader. In the student grandmasters competition 16-year-old Dinara Sauakasova from Kazakhstan is ahead of her opponents, with the 3.5 points score. Three other participants are one point behind. They are Anastasia Savina and Daria Pustovoitova (both Russia) and Mongolia's Enkhtuul Altanulzii, a student of the RSSU.

In men’s tournament for student grandmasters there are three leaders. After the fourth round Burak Firat from Turkey joined Russia's Vladimir Belous and Yuri Eliseev. Each of them earned 3 points. In the last day Eliseev and Belous achieved a draw agains Jan Krejčí (Czech Republic) and Alexander Shimanov (Russia), respectively. Firat defeated Mikhail Mozharov (Russia).

In the third round our commentator highlights a round-robin tournament game between young grandmasters Firat Burak (Turkey) and Alexey Reshetnikov (Russia). The Turkish player's knights defeated the opponent's bishops.

An arbiter’s seminar led by international arbiter Alexander Tkachev concluded on February 5th. On the last day the attendees had to pass a test to receive an arbiter’s degree.

To successfully pass the test and receive the properly issued certificate for FIDE arbiters and referees, applicants had to answer 80% of the questions. The results will be announced tomorrow.

Tomorrow an international seminar for FIDE events organizers will begin. The program of the seminar includes the following items:

* official competitions regulations,
* competition management,
* control test,
* discussion of the results.

One of the surprises of the women’s tournament was the defeat of the candidate in the Russian Team, Olga Girya (2441) by the international master from Mongolia Altanulzi Enhtuul (2153). Rarely after such a defeat is a chess player prepared for commenting, but Girya is a true professional and has given the reason for her misfortune especially for our site.

- What was going on?

- Sometimes in life it happens that you love to create yourself problems. You can’t say that that underestimated my opponent, but for some reason consciously went in an inferior position. I saw that this continuation wasn’t the best, but made the move anyway.

- That sounds infuriating.

- Well, it’s history now, tomorrow is a new day.

- How do you like the tournament atmosphere this year?

- I really like the Moscow Open. There are always a lot of interesting people, I really enjoy playing. Now, it seems, I need to add some reliability.

One of the most pleasant surprises of the Moscow Open has been the outsanding play of the 12-year-old candidate master Saveliy Golubov (2225). In the first three rounds, the young prodigy from the Moscow suburb Khotkov has won 2.5 points of 3 possible. In his last game Saveliy was able to secure a draw playing against Pridorozhni, who is rated 2523.

- Saveliy,  you are one of the youngest competitors of the Moscow Open, and not many have heard of you before. Tell us a bit about yourself.

- I am from the Moscow Suburb Khotkov [ remarks a shy Golubov]. I was introduced to chess when I was two. Yes, yes, even then Grandpa instead of getting out toys showed me the king and pawns and taught me how they move. By the time I was five I was playing in my first serious tournament, though, I don’t remember the result. It was so long ago.

- What is your title?

- Right now candidate master, but I’ve set a goal to become a grandmaster by 14. I hope I will be able to reach it. I’m working hard at it.

Three rounds have been played in the main tournaments of the International RSSU Cup Moscow Open 2013. The table of competitions among veterans is topped by rating-favourite, the renowned chess theorist from Chelyabinsk grandmaster Evgeny Sveshnikov, who has won three games. Nine more chess players have shown the same result. So the real battle is yet to come.

The number of the players with a perfect score has been reduced to eight in the open division of the Russian Cup, and only two of them are Russians. They are Pavel Ponkratov and Alexander Danin, who should have a game in the fourth round with rating-favourite Rauf Mamedov from Azerbaijan.

In the women's open division there are eight leaders too, but here the ratio of Russians is reversed with six of the players Russian. Narmin Kazimova (Azerbaijan) and Lanita Stetsko (Belarus) keep company with host.

In Tournament A, which features the most decorated participants of the tournament, one of the leaders is Azerbaijan's grandmaster Rauf Mamedov. So far, he has a perfect score. Right after the conclusion of his second round game against an international master from Iran, Rauf kindly agreed to talk to us.

- Congratulations. Two points out of two, it's a perfect score. Had you counted on having such a great opening?

- Truth to be told, so far I have been lucky with my opponents. So far I have not faced any serious chess players. In my first game, where I played black, my opponent made a mistake and I was able to immediately capitalize on it; today it was the same. I'd already secured victory 35 moves into the game.

- It is the first Moscow Open for you. Why have you missed the previous ones?

- For 11 years running I had played at an excellent "Aeroflot open" tournament. I had no other openings in my schedule. It's a pity that "Aeroflot" tournament is no longer held in the same format. Now it's only rapid chess and blitz. For me this competition felt like home. I would love to see "Aeroflot" bring the tournament back.