Date:16/02/2007 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2007/02/16/stories/2007021613832200.htm

Sport - Chess

Chennai `A' wins

Arvind Aaron

Chennai : Ram S Krishnan, the reserve player in the Chennai `A' team, played a pivotal role in his team winning the maiden title in the 10th National Cities team chess championship that concluded here on Thursday evening. Ram won all his six games and also picked up a board prize for himself. The eighth and final round was a high scoring affair with Chennai `A' thrashing Bangalore `B' 3.5-0.5 for the title with 23.5 points.

It was a closely fought and interesting competition and only half a point separated the top three teams. Kozhikode blanked Kancheepuram `B' 4-0 to finish second with 23 points.Chennai `A' blended well as a team and was too strong for the Bangalore `B' team.

The 23.5 points they scored came from R.R. Laxman 5/7, R. Balasubramaniam 2.5/6, C. Praveen Kumar 5/7, M. Vinoth Kumar 5/6, Ram S Krishnan 6/6.

Chennai `A' lost to Kozhikode 1-3 and defeated the rest of the seven teams for the title.

The top two teams proceed to the Asian Cities Championship at Tehran from March 1.

The placings: 1. Chennai `A' 23.5/32, 2. Kozhikode 23, 3. Chennai `B' 22.5, 4. Hyderabad 21.5, 5 Kancheepuram `A' 21.

Board prizes: 1. G.B. Prakash (Indian Bank, Chennai `B') 7/8, 2. O.T. Anilkumar (Kozhikode) 6/8, 3. R. Janakiraman (BSNL, Chennai-D) 6/8, 4. A. Sankar (Rly, Kancheepuram `A') 6.5/7, 5. Ram S. Krishnan (BSNL, Chennai `A') 6/6.

Important results (round 8): Chennai `A' (23.5) bt Bangalore `B' (18) 3.5-0.5; Ahmedabad (16.5) lost to Chennai `B' (22.5) 1-3; Kozhikode (23) bt Kancheepuram `B' (15.5) 4-0; Hyderabad (21.5) bt Tiruvallur (16) 3.5-0.5; Kancheepuram `A' (21) bt Mangalore `A' (16) 3-1.