Double blow for Kunte

KHANDALA, DEC. 21. National champion and Grandmaster Abhijit Kunte (2) of the Indian Oil suffered two consecutive shocking defeats on the first day of inter-petroleum individual chess championship played at Zara's Resort here today.

International Master and former National champion P. Konguvel (4) of ONGC has taken the lead and he is followed by top seeded Grandmaster K. Sasikiran (ONGC), IM Surya Sekhar Ganguly (IOC) and former Asian women champion Anupama Gokhale (BPCL).

Konguvel scored a facile victory over Abhijit in the third round. Abhijit could not recover from the blow in time and was stunned by Laisaram Imocha (OIL, Manipur) in the fourth round.

International Women's Master Anupama Gokhale shocked IM R. B. Ramesh (IOC) in Slav Defence. She followed it up by holding Ramesh's colleague and IM T. S. Ravi to a draw in the fourth round.

Leader Konguvel will take on top seeded Grandmaster K. Sasikiran (3.5) in the fifth round.

Important results: D. V. Prasad (3) lost to P. Konguvel (4), Anupama Gokhale (3.5) drew with T. S. Ravi (3), K. Sasikiran (3.5) bt V. Koshy (2.5), S. S. Ganguly (3.5) bt M. G. Bhatt (2.5), S. D. Rajan (2.5) lost to Lanka Ravi (3).

- UNI

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