Dramatic finish of the 2008 Serbian Championship

Pikula lost, three players heading into the last round with same points

GM Dejan Pikula, who enjoyed a full point lead after the 11th round, lost a short game with black pieces against last-year champion GM Milos Perunovic. The followers, GM Ivan Ivanisevic and GM Bojan Vuckovic, immediately jumped on the opportunity and caught Pikula on the first place tie after beating their respective opponents.

FM Boban Bogosavljevic, 19-years old junior champion, broke to the 4th place tie together with Perunovic after winning against long-time Chess Informant Editor, IM Sasa Velickovic. Bogosavljevic has to take a full point away from title contender Pikula in the last round in order to reach a 13-round GM norm.

Round 12 results:

GM Perunovic Milos 2570 1 - 0 GM Pikula Dejan 2524
FM Bogosavljevic Boban 2492 1 - 0 IM Velickovic Sasa 2401
GM Miladinovic Igor 2604 0 - 1 GM Drazic Sinisa 2489
GM Damljanovic Branko 2582 0 - 1 GM Ivanisevic Ivan 2649
GM Sedlak Nikola 2568 ½ - ½ IM Leskur Dejan 2468
GM Vuckovic Bojan 2556 1 - 0 IM Pavlovic Milos M 2457
GM Kovacevic Aleksandar 2575 ½ - ½ GM Markus Robert 2575

Round 12 standings:

1-3. GM Bojan Vuckovic 2556, GM Ivan Ivanisevic 2649 and GM Dejan Pikula 2524 8.0
4-5. FM Boban Bogosavljevic 2492 and GM Milos Perunovic 2570 7.0
6-8. GM Aleksandar Kovacevic 2575, GM Igor Miladinovic 2604 and IM Milos M Pavlovic 2457 6½
9-10. GM Robert Markus 2575 6.0
10-11. GM Branko Damljanovic 2582 and GM Nikola Sedlak 2568 5½
12. GM Sinisa Drazic 2489 4½
13. IM Dejan Leskur 2468 3.0
14. IM Sasa Velickovic 2401 2.0

Last round pairings:

GM Markus Robert 2575 - GM Perunovic Milos 2570
IM Pavlovic Milos M 2457 - GM Kovacevic Aleksandar 2575
IM Leskur Dejan 2468 - GM Vuckovic Bojan 2556
GM Ivanisevic Ivan 2649 - GM Sedlak Nikola 2568
GM Drazic Sinisa 2489 - GM Damljanovic Branko 2582
IM Velickovic Sasa 2401 - GM Miladinovic Igor 2604
GM Pikula Dejan 2524 - FM Bogosavljevic Boban 2492