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Gopal shocks Shetty

By Our Sports Reporter

KOZHIKODE Aug. 19. Nine-year-old Parimarjan Negi, with arguably the cutest face in chess, was the centre of attraction at the inaugural function of this tournament on the Independence Day. Expectations were much from the Asian under-9 champion, but unfortunately it hasn't exactly been a joy ride for him in what is admittedly a field too tough for him at this stage.

The reversals at the Air Travel Trophy FIDE rating all-India chess tournament though hasn't stopped the talented Delhi kid from dazzling everyone with his disarming smile at Taj Residency. But it is another youngster, who also is still very much in school, who is making news here. Thirteen-year-old G. N. Gopal, two days after surprising former Asian junior bronze medallist K. Ratnakaran, created the biggest shock of the tournament, turning the table on top seed International Master Rahul Shetty of Indian Airlines in the ninth round.

That helped second seed T. S. Ravi of Indian Oil, now the only unbeaten player in the field, to come back into the sole lead on Monday. With just two rounds remaining, Ravi, who won both his games today, has 7.5 points, half-a-point ahead of Shetty. G. B. Joshi of Indian Airlines is on six, while Gopal and M. B. Muraleedharan have five apiece.

In a crucial game in the tenth round on Tuesday, Shetty meets Ravi. Then in the final round, in the afternoon, Shetty will play Sayantan Dutta of Bengal while Ravi will take on Ratnakaran.

Shetty employed Sicilian Defence and had little difficulty to get a dynamic equality after the opening. But on the 18th move, he undid all his good work by a disastrous centre pawn push. His younger rival wasted no time to exchange that pawn and opened up the centre.

The Kochi-based Gopal did well to drive home the advantage, launching a potent attack. In no time, Shetty's king stood totally exposed and hopelessly unguarded. He gave up on the 26th move. ``It was all over for me after the `d5' push,'' he said later. ``There really was little in the game after that. But full credit goes to the boy. He looks good.''

Shetty, for whom it was a kind of Baby's Day, had a comfortable win against Negi in the morning. He romped home, winning a queen for rook in a Sicilian Paulsen variation.

Ravi, with black pieces in an Italian Game, also had it easy against Negi, in the afternoon. White had allowed a break in the centre, and won a kingside pawn on the 22nd move employing good tactics. Negi had little piece play and was going to lose two more pawns when he resigned after 38 boys. Of course he still was smiling, as he explained what went wrong to his father.

Muraleedharan was also smiling as he came out of the venue, a little later. He had carved out a good win against Argyadip Das of Bengal. The Kerala veteran, playing on the black side of a Sicilian Rossolimo, overcame an inferior opening to win in 46 moves. He gave his rook for a bishop and two pawns on the 18th move to build a strong position. Das gave up, as Black was all set to queen a pawn on the queenside.

This was a day when Muraleedharan really relished playing the Bengalees; he had accounted for Dutta in the morning. Dutta though won his game against Purabi Sinh of Assam. With white pieces in a Spanish Game he won in 38 moves. Purabi, who was forced to give a piece on the 30th moves, had a touch choice to make in the end: mate or the loss of her queen.

Brothers Ratnakaran and Lakshminarayanan drew after just 13 moves of French Defence, while Joshi received a walkover from Saimeera Ravi, who had a fever. ``This is my fourth tournament in a row, you know,'' she had said yesterday.

Her husband, Ravi, informed that she would play another tournament in Chennai, just a day after this one ended.

The results (Ninth round): G. N. Gopal (Ker) 5.5 bt Rahul Shetty (IA) 7; Sayantan Dutta (Ben) 4.5 bt Purabi Sinha (Asm) 1; Argyadip Das (Ben) 4.5 lost to M. B. Muraleedharan (Ker) 5.5; G. B. Joshi (IA) 6 w/o Saimeera Ravi (IB) 2.5; K. Lakshminarayanan (Ker) 3 drew with K. Ratnakaran (Tal) 5; Parimarjan Negi (Del) 2 lost to T. S. Ravi (IO) 7.5.

Eighth round: Shetty bt Negi; Ravi bt Lakshminarayanan; Ratnakaran bt Joshi; Saimeera lost to Das; Muraleedharan bt Dutta; Purabi lost to Gopal.

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