Havana, September 26 (JIT) - Ineymig Hernandez and Roxangel Obregon remain undefeated in the World Junior Chess Championship Mexico City 2023, enjoying spaces among the top 20 in the ranking. 

Both closed the fifth round with identical accumulated 3.5 points, after signing draws in their duels: the Camagüeyan Ineymig in 67 moves of a Caro Kann Defense against the Russian Galina Mikheeva, and the Villaclareña Roxángel after 50 moves of a Ruy López Opening against the Slovakian Jana Sosovickova.

Roxángel, who took white figures, defended a pawn disadvantage in a rook and knight ending, while the player from Agramontina achieved parity with two less pawns in a queen and bishop position of a different color.

With six of the 11 agreed rounds remaining, the top of the women's segment is shared by two favorites, the Indian Ravi Rakshitta and the American Carissa Yip, with 4.5 units.

The northern player reached this privileged zone after subduing the Armenian Mariam Mkrtchyan, while Rakshita's company was achieved when she forced the surrender of the Romanian Alessia-Mihaela Ciolacu.

In the open tournament, with 150 players, the best performance of the Cubans corresponds to Villaclareño Jorge de Jesús Pérez. In his most recent incursion, extended to 44 sets of a Queen Pawn Opening in which he moved white pieces, he agreed peace with the Colombian Jose Gabriel Cardoso, to reach 3.5 points that place him in 28th place.

Kemel Gallo from El Salvador scored three points after his draw against Samir Sahidi from Slovakia, the same number for Roberto Alejandro Ramos from Matanzas, who conceded the only loss of the group to Tobias Koelle from Germany.

The German took advantage of a pair of free pawns on the queenside and took them to the seventh rank to establish a decisive advantage. With that outcome, he completed four lines that certified his ascent to fourth place in a ranking headed by the French Marc'Andria Maurizzi (4.5 units).

The 16-year-old Frenchman was held to a draw by Russia's Arseniy Nesterov and is half a unit ahead of a field of 16 players.