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V KRISHNASWAMY
NEW DELHI, JUNE 5 ROUND 6:
WITH the top seed Krishnan Sasikiran, being held to a draw by Surya Sekhar Ganguly, Ponnuswamy Konguvel once again moved into sole lead with a comprehensive win over Saptarshi Roy Chowdhury at the end of the sixth round of the 19-round 38th National 'A' championship here at the CDCS Eventspecific Hall today. Konguvel now has five points from four wins and two draws, while Sasikiran is half a point behind with three wins and three draws.
Defending champion Abhijit Kunte is another half point behind at four on a day when the players had just round scheduled. Four others, Dibyendu Barua, Surya Sekhar Ganguly, Atanu Lahiri and Pentyala Harikrishna are at 3.5 points each.
Konguvel who had the light coloured pieces encountered the young Saptarishi Roy's Sicilian defense which gradually went into the Sveshnikov variation. Konguvel who has been in fine form for he past week once again displayed excellent play and gave a perfect exhibition. Saptarshi was unable to the position well enough and gave up a piece for two pawns. But his connected pawns were really noty as threatening as he had hoped them to be.
Meanwhile Konguvel's highly mobile knight created even more space place for itself and became highly dangerous for his rival. With pieces soon getting exchanged, an in the endgame with queens, Konguvel walked away with a full point.
Kunte had black against Neeraj Mishra in a game that was converted to Catalan. Kunte, who has been playing with minimum risks and pacing himself in these long championships succeeded in breaking through his rival's citadel in the middle game and accquired a crucial advantage. He went on to win in 60 moves.
Ganguly was mindful of the loss he had suffered against Sasikiran in Colombo last year in a crucial match in the Asian Zonals. The game, as then, was a Queen's gambit accepted. But while Sasikiran had won in Colombo, here in Delhi, Ganguly was better prepared and and defended well and accurately. The game went into a rook and minor piece ending and the two players decided to split the point after 35 moves.
G B Prakash who has completed the norm requirements for a Grandmaster, but is waiting to attain a rating of 2500 plus to get the title crashed to Dibyendu Barua. Prakash seemed to have over stretched against a tough opponent, who even on his off days is not an easy player to beat.
In the Semi Slav defense game, Barua got a balanced position in the middlegame and feeling it was difficult to force a win, Barua proposed a draw. But Prakash turned down the offer and then in the complications that followed he seemed to lose his way. Barua a master at complicated positions won a pawn and then from there on ground his rival down and grabbed a full point.
Prasad, who has had a fairly sedate tournament so far scored an excellent win over V Saravanan, whose campaign so far has been rather disappointing. In Philidor opening, which went into the Larsen variation, Prasad with white went on to outplay Sarvanan and win in 26 moves.
Lanka Ravi made up for a poor third day with a good win in the sixth round over young Neeloptal Das from a Sicilian game, while Shekhar sahu also tasted success against Nassir Wajih in another Sicilian.
Pravin Thipsay who blundered away a game against Mishra in the fifth round was content with a draw against Atanu Lahiri from 28 moves in a King's Indian game.
P Konguvel (5) beat S R Chowdhry (2); K Sasikiran (4.5) drew S S Ganguly (3.5); N K Mishra (3) lost to A Kunte (4); D V Prasad (3.5) beat V Saravanan (1); G B Prakash (2.5) lost to D Barua (3.5); Atanu Lahiri (3.5) drew P M Thipsay (3); Neelotpal Das (1) lost to Lanka Ravi (3); S C Sahu (3) beat Nassir Wajih (0.5); K Murugan (2) drew P Harikrishna (3.5).
WOMEN: VIJI TAKES A FULL POINT LEAD
V KRISHNASWAMY NEW DELHI, JUNE 5:
SUBBARAMAN Vijayalakshmi attempting her fourth National A title on the trot outplayed former champion Anupma Gokhale and opened up a full point lead over her nearest rivals at the end of the fourth round of the women's National A chess championships at the CDCS Eventspecific Hall here today.
The 22-year-old Chennai-based player, who is the only Women's Grandmaster in the sub-continent seems to have shrugged off the sluggish form that dogged her at the Asian Zonals in Colombo, where she lost to three of the other Indians and the only draw she got was from her sister, S Meenakshi. Here Vijayalakshmi seems less tense and has played well.
Vijayalakshmi now has 3.5 points from three wins and one draw from four games and her fifth round encounter will be against young Y Pratibha. Viji will have white and so anoher win could well be on the cards. Her main rivals, Pallavi Shah and Swati Ghate, who played a quiet draw in 15 moves today. Both Shah and Ghate looked below par and in such a situation, Viji could well dominate the championships.
The threesome at 2.5 points include Anupama, IWM Swati Ghate and Vijayalakshmi's younger sister Subbaraman Meenakshi of Indian Airlines.
In a major surprise, ten-year-old Drona Harika stunned more experienced Saheli Dhar Barua, who after looking strong in the opening frittered away the advantage with a series of weak moves. The opening was Dutch defence where Saheli had black.
Anupama chose an infrequently played opening in the Catalan, which seemed to have surprised the defending champion. Vijayalakshmi won a pawn very early in the game and then managed to thwart Anupama from getting the compensation she hoped for. Viji developed her pieces well and then after gaining control of the centre, she put pressure on Anupama's king side.
To add to Anupama's woes she got into time problem and lost a piece, which completely ruined any draw chances she may have had.
Add to the family joy was Meenakshi, who last year finished runners-up to her sister. Meenakshi won a good game against double GM norm holder and former World Under-18 winner, Aarthie Ramaswamy. In the King's Indian employed by Aarthie, Meenakshi had white. Meenakshi positioned herself well with early advantage and then capitalised on some erroneous plans from her rival. Once she won an exchange, Meenakshi was on a roll and won in 42 moves.
In other games Saimeera Ravi scored a fine win with black over Nisha Mohota and Dolan Champa Bose also won with black against Y Pratibha. Nisha's game against Saimeera was a King's Indian, Samisch variation, while Pratibha with white faced the French-Tarrasch.
Bhagyashree and MR Sangeetha played a draw as Pallavi Shah and Swati Ghate.
Women's-4th round results; Harika Dronavalli (1.5) bt WIM Saheli Dhar Barua (1); WIM Bhagyashree Thipsay (2) drew M R Sangeetha (1.5); WIM Nisha Mohota (1) lost to WIM S Meenakshi (2.5); WIM Pallavi Shah (1) drew WIM Swati Ghate (2.5); WIM Anupama Gokhale (2.5) lost to WGM S Vijayalakshmi (3.5); Y Pratibha (2) lost to Dolan Champa Bose (1.5).
Results: 4th round:
Drona Harika (1.5) beat Saheli Barua (1); Bhagyashree Thipsay (2) draw MR Sangeetha (1.5); Nisha Mohota (1) lost to Saimeera Ravi (1.5); S Meenakshi (2) beat Aarthie Ramaswamy (2); Pallavi Shah (1) drew with Swati Ghate (2.5); Anupama Gokhale (2.5) lost to S Vijayalakshmi (3.5); Y Pratibha (2) lost to Dolan Champa Bose (1.5).
Sangeetha's games against Saimeera and Harika will be held on first rest day.
All material © Mark Crowther
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