Date:31/03/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/03/31/stories/2008033160252300.htm

Sport - Chess

Humpy and Sasikiran join leaders

KOLKATA: The third Kolkata Open chess tournament title race promises to be a close affair with seven jointly sharing the lead with 5.5 points at the end of the seventh round at the Gorky Sadan here on Sunday. The joint second place was even more crowded with 14 players occupying it with 5 points each.

Top seeded Grandmaster Krishnan Sasikiran, playing the black side of a Queen’s Gambit accepted variation against GM Viktor Laznicka of the Czech Republic, enjoyed an advantage throughout. Despite capturing a pawn in the endgame, the Indian super GM failed to win the game in the king and pawn endgame. Both with 5.5 points enjoyed the top spot.

Sandipan’s swift win

GM Sandipan Chanda produced a swift victory over International Master V. Saravanan in 26 moves of a Slav defence to finish at the joint top position. In a battle between two Indian GMs, Koneru Humpy beat Dibyendu Barua with white pieces.

Barua opted for the Semi-Slav variation after declining the Queen’s gambit and was forced to resign on the 48th move in a hopeless position.

Important results (Indians, unless stated otherwise): Viktor Laznicka (Cze, 5.5) drew with Krishnan Sasikiran (5.5); Ziaur Rahman (Ban, 5.5) drew with Saptarshi Roy (5.5); Ghaem Maghami (Ira, 5) drew with Nguyen Anh Dung (Vie, 5.5); Koneru Humpy (5.5) bt Dibyendu Barua (4.5); V. Saravanan (4.5) lost to Sandipan Chanda (5.5); Tejas Bakre (5) drew with Alberto David (Lux, 5); Rolando Nolte (Phi, 5) drew with Safin Shukhrat (Uzb, 5); Adly Ahmed (Egy, 5) bt Oliver Barbosa (Phi, 4); S. Satyapragyan (4) lost to Abdulla Al-Rakib (Ban, 5); Himanshu Sharma (4) lost to Vladimir Dobrov (Rus, 5). — Special Correspondent