Date:22/11/2007 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2007/11/22/stories/2007112257461900.htm

Sport - Chess

Tougher battles mark round three

Manuel Aaron

Antalya (Turkey): The third round of the World Youth chess championships saw tougher and longer battles.

Six players — Ivana Furtado, Vidit Gujarathi, Prince Bajaj, J. Vaishnavi, Mehar Chinna Reddy and Mary Ann Gomes — have scored the full three points.

In the second round 25 Indians had scored the maximum of two points each.

Mary Ann Gomes allowed her Kazakhstan opponent Davletbaeva a winning combination early in the game.

Mary held her breath as her opponent thought for 20 minutes and played something else to lose eventually.

In the under-14 top board, S.P. Sethuraman played N. Srinath and beat him in a good game.

Top Indian results: Girls: U-8: D. Nominerdene (Mgl) drew C.H. Meghna 2.5; C.R. Varsha 2.5 drew A.N. Rashvand (Iran); P. Preethy 2 lost to Ivana Furtado 3.

U-10: Ting Jie Lei (Chn) lost to G. Aishwarya 2.5.

U-10: A.G. Chiari (Bra) drew with Shardul Gagare 2.5; U.U. Acikalin (Tur) lost to Prince Bajaj 3; Girish Koushik 2 bt A.B. Keskimir (Tur).

U-12 girls: B. Pratyusha 2 lost to Irena Baraeva (Rus); Sabina Ibrahimova (Aze) bt M.N. Vyshnavi 2; Ana Shamatava (Geo) lost to J. Vaishnavi 2; Priyanka Kumari 2 bt F. Laloui (Alg); Michelle Catherina 1 bt A. Kanagarajah (Aus).

U-14: Khayala Abdulla (Aze) bt Padmini Rout 1.5.

U-16: Bhakti Kulkarni 2.5 drew with Abby Marshall (USA); Tinatin Beridze (Geo) bt Pon N. Krithika 2.

U-18: Madina Davletbayeva (Kaz) lost to Mary Ann Gomes 3; R. Preethi 2 lost to Marija Rakic (Srb) 2.5.

Boys: U-14: S.P. Sethuraman 3 bt N. Srinath; Jaroslav Bures (Cze) 2 lost to Vidit Gujrathi 3; Nikita Meskovs (Lat) lost to Mehar Chenna Reddy 3; Prasanna Rao 2 bt Pieter Reyniers (Bel); Samuel Lazarus (Wls) lost to Pranav Shetty 2.