GM Gawain Jones’s convincing victory in the final round of the Dubai Open 2016 saw him clinch the title in what turned out to be an exciting finish. Jones, playing White, overcame the then sole leader GM Boris Savchenko in the finale of this extremely strong open.
In an event boasting of 46 GMs and a total of 195 players, the English GM scored a total of 7.5 points and remained unbeaten throughout the course of the event.
GM Vladimir Akopian was another player who finished with 7.5 points. However, Jones’s superior tie-break score meant that Akopian had to content himself with the runners-up spot.
The event witnessed as many as 60 Indians participating, with GM Vidit Gujrathi performing the best of the lot. The youngster notched up a total of 7 points and finished 5th in the final rankings.