Humpy achieves second WGM norm

CHENNAI, APRIL 8. The reigning World under-14 girls champion Koneru Humpy of Vijayawada finished third in the Oakham Masters in England and along with it achieved her second woman grandmaster norm and also her maiden men's international master norm.

The 14-year old Andhra girl achieved this feat by upsetting IM 17-year old Irina Krush of the United States to finish third with 5.5 points in the 10-player round robin tournament that concluded at Oakham School on Friday.

Krush who had set the ball rolling towards achieving her first men's grandmaster norm after defeating three grandmasters and three international masters could not get past the Indian. Her second defeat in a row cost her the title as she finished second with six points.

Nicholas Pert of England took the second successive masters title with 6.5 points from nine games. Humpy was third with 5.5 points.

Humpy will need more norms covering 24 round robin games or 30 Swiss format games to repeat what Vijayalakshmi achieved last year. Humpy who made a 9-game norm has achieved her second WGM norm from this tournament.

lFinal standings: 1. IM N. Pert (Eng) 6.5/9, 2. IM I. Krush (USA) 6; 3. IWM Koneru Humpy (Ind) 5.5, 4-5. IM D. Gormally (Eng), GM C McNab (Sco) 5 each, 6-7. IM D. Tyomkin (Isr), IM J. Nieto Estrada (Mex) 4 each, 8. M. Bluvshtein (Can) 3.5, 9. GM J. Levitt (Eng) 3, 10. GM N. McDonald (Eng) 2.5.

lThe moves: IM Irina Krush-IWM Koneru Humpy, round nine, Caro- Kann Advanced, B12: 1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. e5 Bf5 4. Nc3 e6 5. g4 Bg6 6. Nge2 f6 7. Bg2 Nd7 8. Bf4 fxe5 9. dxe5 Qb6 10. Rb1 h5 11. g5 0-0-0 12. 0-0 Ne7 13. Be3 Qc7 14. b4 Nf5 15. Bf4 Nxe5 16. b5 Bd6 17. bxc6 Nxc6 18. Nb5 Qf7 19. Qd2 Bxf4 20. Qxf4 a6 21. Nbc3 Nfd4 22. Qc1 Nf3+ 23. Kh1 h4 24. h3 Be4 25. Qe3 Rhf8 26. Nxe4 dxe4 27. Rfd1 Rxd1+ 28. Rxd1 Qc7 29. Bxf3 Rxf3 30. Qxe4 Rxh3+ 31. Kg1 Qh2+ 32. Kf1 Qh1+ 33. Qxh1 Rxh1+ 34. Ng1 h3 0-1.

- Our Chess Correspondent

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