PSCB, Indian Railways, Western Railways in lead

NAGPUR, JAN. 31. Holder Petroleum Sports Control Board (PSCB), Indian Railways and Western Railways shared the lead at the end of the fourth round of the Bharat Petroleum 24th National team chess championship, at the Vidarbha Bridge Association Hall, Nagpur, on Wednesday. The three teams were on 12.5 points. Indian Airlines with 11 points was in the second position, followed half-a-point behind by CRSB and host Nagpur Chess Academy (President).

PSCB beat Indian Airlines 2.5-1.5, Indian Railways made short work of AFSCB 3.5-0.5, Western Railways crushed VCA Stalwarts 4-0 and CRSB beat Tamil Nadu 3.5-0.5. Playing on the top board for the star-studded PSCB, Grandmaster Krishnan Sasikiran, fresh from his triumph at the Hastings tournament in England, defeated Woman Grandmaster S. Vijayalakshmi, thus avenging his surprise loss to her in the Wipro GM tournament at Hyderabad in July. Sasikiran, with white pieces, won after 25 moves of Queen's Gambit Declined. On the second board, GM Abhijit Kunte beat International Master Tejas Bakre in 50 moves of Ruy Lopez, and on the third, IM D.V. Prasad and S. Satyapragyan drew in a rook and pawn ending from a Sicilian Defence. G.B. Joshi salvaged some pride for Indian Airlines when he overcame IM Saravanan after 55 moves (Pelican).

lThe results: (Fourth round): PSCB 12.5 bt Indian Airlines 11; Indian Railways 12.5 bt AFSCB 9.5; VCA Stalwarts 8.5 lost to Western Railways 12.5; Nagpur Chess Academy (President) 10.5 beat Tamil Nadu 8; chesstrainer.com 10 bt Paul Morphy Chess Academy 7.5; Fischer Chess Club 7.5 lost to RBI, Mumbai, 9; Children's Chess Academy 7.5 bt Nagpur Chess Academy (Senior) 5.5; VCA (Sub- junior) 8 bt Mico Sports 4; Gujarat Chess Association 7 bt Nagpur Chess Academy (Junior) 3; AP (I) lost to NDCA 6; AP (II) 4 bye.

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