Date:21/07/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/07/21/stories/2008072156551800.htm

Sport - Chess

Himal holds Thipsay

MANGALORE: The second day of the second all-India Fide rated chess tournament saw an unexpected result when sub-junior player Gussain Himal (Chandigarh) held GM Praveen Thipsay to a draw in the third round here on Sunday. Himal (15) with an Elo rating of 2108 drew Thipsay, who was playing with black pieces.

At the end of third round, 23 players including GM Dibyendu Barua are in joint lead with three points apiece. Naveen Hegde of Karnataka (3) upset IM R. Balasubramanian of Integral Coach Factory in 23-moves to register the other upset result of the day.

The results (top six boards): Round 3: M.G. Gahan 2 lost to R.R. Laxman 3, Anurag Mhamal 2 lost to Dibyendu Barua 3; Gussain Himal 2.5 drew with Praveen Thipsay 2.5; Himanshu Sharma 3 bt H. Venkatesh 2; Gopalakrishna 2 lost to B.T. Muralikrishnan 3; G.V. Prakash 2.5 drew with Amrutha Mokal 2.5.

Round 2: Laxman 2 bt Arjun U. Prabhu 1; Avinash Malwankar 1 lost to Barua 2; Thipsay 2 bt K. Nithin 1; Kumtakar Deepak 1 lost to Himanshu Sharma 2; Muralikrishnan 2 bt Dinakar Desai 1; M. Satwik 1 lost to G.B. Prakash 2. — Staff Correspondent