Date:03/07/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/07/03/stories/2008070360212300.htm

Sport - Chess

Dream day for Indians

Manuel Aaron

Philadelphia: The second round of the 36th World Open chess tournament at the Philadelhia City Centre Hotel here went like a dream for the four Indians in the seven-day schedule. All four of them won.

Apart from Grandmasters Artur Yusupov and Alonso Zapata of Mexico, M.R. Venkatesh and Saimeera Ravi have secured the full two points when the second round ended on Wednesday.

International Master Venkatesh played with the black pieces. He faced the Hedgehog system of Alvara Blanco and won a pawn.

But the American came back to trouble Venkatesh. Finally, in time trouble, in a rook and minor piece ending, Blanco faltered and gave up on the 72nd move. Kiran Manisha Mohanty continued her good show. After a first round draw with GM Kudrin, she pulled off a win over Jerome B. Hanken. In the second round on Wednesday, Saimeera and Aarthie Ramaswamy traded their first round opponents and beat both Luoie Jiang and Libardo.