Date:09/09/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/09/09/stories/2008090957042000.htm

Sport - Chess

Venkatesh wins title

KOZHIKODE: Top seed M.R. Venkatesh won the S.K. Pottekkat Gold Medal all-India FIDE-rating chess tournament with a round to spare here on Monday.

With eight points from nine rounds, the Chennai-based player has one point lead over Santu Mondal and Praveen Kumar. A superior progressive has assured Venkatesh the title regardless of what happens in the final round on Tuesday, according to arbiter V. Vijayaraghavan.

Important results (ninth round): Linda Rangarajan 6.5 lost to M.R. Venkatesh 8; P. Phoobalan 6.5 drew with Santu Mandal 7; Joy Lazer 6 lost to Praveen Kumar 7; E.P. Nirmal 6.5 drew with U.C. Mohanan 6.5; Debasis Mukherji 6.5 drew with O.T. Anil Kumar 6.5; S. Nithin 6.5 bt Sathyanarayanan 5.5; Ram S. Krishna 6 drew with Madhusoodanan 6; Abdul Majeed 6 drew with Sanjit Saha 6; Bindu Saritha 6 drew with Sankar Majumdar 6; M.V. Lakshminaryanan 6 bt Saket Kumar 5. — Principal Correspondent