Cuban Chess Player Leinier Dominguez in a Slump at Tournament

HAVANA TIMES — With a fourth defeat and no victories, Chess Grandmaster Leinier Dominguez remains in the basement of the chess tournament being held in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, reports Granma newspaper.

With only one more day remaining before the curtain closes on the second phase of the event, Dominguez (who possesses 2,734 ELO points) was beaten by the Ukrainian player  Ruslan Ponomariov (2,732), who emerged unscathed after 37 moves in a Chigorin variation of a Sicilian defense.

Ponomariov took revenge as Leinier had recently defeated him in a game sponsored by the Iberia Clubs.

Up until now Dominguez, along with Israel’s Boris Gelfand (2,751), are the only ones not to have earned a victory. This will mean a loss of 17 points from the Cuban’s current rating as in this even he is in last place with just three points, the result of six draws.

Today, in his final match, the Cuban will face American player Gata Kamsky (2,762). A win would bring him from up out of the basement because Kamsky precedes him with 3.5.

The slump being experienced by the islanders could also be noted when Lazaro Bruzon fell below 2,700 ELO points, dropping from 40th to 56th place world, after losing 14 points on his rating. He now holds 2,692.