Date:26/07/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/07/26/stories/2008072651601800.htm

Sport - Chess

Murali Krishna joins Barua on top

Staff Correspondent

MANGALORE: International Master Himanshu Sharma of Haryana blew up his chances of winning the second Mangalore FIDE-rated all-India open chess tournament on Friday.

Sharma (7.5) was outwitted by IM B.T. Murali Krishna (8.5) of Tamil Nadu in the 10th and penultimate round. He joins GM Dibyendu Barua (8.5) of West Bengal on top.

Trailing the leaders by half-a-point are GM Pravin Thipsay (Mah), IM G.B. Prakash and C. Praveen Kumar (both TN), and E.P. Nirmal (Ker).

Sharma’s defeat has thrown open the field for two GMs Thipsay and Barua, who will square off against each other in the final round on Saturday.

Thipsay, the defending champion, should win against Barua and hope that Prakash holds Muralikrishna to take the title to progressive countdown.

The results: 10th round: B. Ramnathan 7.5 lost to Dibyendu Barua 8.5, Murali Krishna 8.5 bt Himanshu Sharma 7.5, Praveen Kumar 8 bt Amrutha 7.5, Pravin Thipsay 8 bt Nassir Wajih 7, G.B. Prakash 8 bt Varugeese Koshy 7, E.P. Nirmal 8 bt T. Purushothaman 7, Prasad P. Praveen 7.5 drew with B.S. Shivananda 7, Sagar Shah 7.5 bt R.R. Laxman 6.5, Dinesh K. Sharma 7.5 bt Hari O.M. Sharma 6.5, O.T. Anil Kumar 6.5 lost to G.A. Stany 7.5.