Pert hangs on to check Lithuanian

Friday 21st October 2011, 2:29PM BST.

Wolfgang Mack (left) and Christopher Brookes settle down to competitive business in round five. (Picture by Peter Frankland, 1190481)

GRANDMASTER Nick Pert remains favourite to win the Open Tournament of the Intertrust Guernsey International Chess Festival, having retained the outright lead after five rounds.

However, with two days remaining, five players are right on his heels, including all three of his fellow grandmasters.

Sarunas Sulskis of Lithuania used the advantage of the white pieces well in the early stages of his fifth-round clash with Pert, and emerged one pawn ahead.

Although such a lead is often decisive, especially at the highest level of the game, the Englishman was able to consolidate his position and, unable to break through,