Date:07/07/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/07/07/stories/2008070760161900.htm

Sport - Chess

Negi continues to share lead

Manuel Aaron

Philadelphia: Parimarjan Negi, with 5.5 points, continued to be among the leaders in the Open section of the 36th World Open chess tournament at the end of the seventh round here on Sunday.

Negi shares the lead with Alexander Ivanov, Alex Yermolinsky, Alex Shabalov and Lubomir Ftacnik.

In the first game on Saturday, playing with black, Negi innovated in the opening, offering a pawn to Israeli GM Mikhalevsky and won comfortably. In the seventh round, veteran Ivanov tested him for over five hours before conceding a draw.

Half-a-point behind the leaders is another pack of five players with five points each. But unfortunately there is no Indian among them.

However, S.S. Ganguly, Abhijit Kunte, K. Rathnakaran and Arun Prasad are in the 4.5 points bracket and winning the last two games on Monday would help them get into the $75,000 prize list.

In the under-2400 section, WGM Eesha Karavade was going great guns. In the first session, she drew level with the run-away leader FM Igor Schneider by beating him. But, in the seventh round she was held to a draw by IM Robert Hungaski.