The Hindu : Aarthie closer to GM norm

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Dec 17, 2002

Sport

Sport - Chess

Aarthie closer to GM norm

Chennai Dec. 16 Former world under-18 girls champion, Aarthie Ramaswamy of Chennai scored an impressive eighth round victory to draw closer to the woman grandmaster norm and title in the First Saturday chess tournaments being played at Budapest in Hungary on Sunday.

Aarthie, 21, scored a crushing win over David Berczes to dart closer to the woman grandmaster norm. After this fifth win, Aarthie moved to six points from eight games and now requires 1.5 points from the last three rounds to become India's next woman grandmaster.

Aarthie's skills in open attacking positions are well known. She played a combination on the twelfth move to win a rook for bishop in her game against lower rated untitled Berczes.

Facing the Scandinavian defence from her Hungarian opponent, Aarthie as white went for the black king but remained content after winning material. Black had castled queen side and faced early fire from white's bishop and knight combine. Once she had won material, she showed great eagerness to exchange pieces and played by the book to return the extra material and enter a won king and pawn ending. Having no chances against the connected passed pawns of white, Berczes resigned on the 35th move.

The Chennai girl is in second place, one point behind leader FM Adam Popovics of Hungary who is on seven points from eight games. Aarthie, six points, is in safe second place as she is 1.5 points ahead of the next placed player in the points table.

She is competing in the 12-player International Master group `B' chess tournament. Aarthie will face Zeev Dub (Isr, Elo 2270), Adam Popovics (Hun, 2320) and Nicolas Gerard (Fra, 2254) in the last three rounds. She needs three draws or one win and a draw for the woman grandmaster title. Aarthie who is herself rated 2271 and holder of the International Woman Master title should be coasting comfortably with draws.

Ramesh's grandmaster norm chances went up in smoke when he could not win his eighth round game against fellow international master Csaba Balogh of Hungary. Ramesh won two pieces for a rook and pawn but could not use this advantage to improve as he drew with the white pieces after 42 moves. Ramesh used the Rossolimo attack against the Sicilian defence but soon the pawn formation took a Maroczy bind kind of pawn formation.

A four win score from four games is nothing but an uphill task. Ramesh should have tried better in some of the earlier games where he made quick draws as the pressure was mounting on him to win games.

Peter Horvath of Hungary is leading the category 7 grandmaster tournament with six points from eight rounds and Ramesh is in clear second place with five points. Ten players are behind Ramesh and three rounds remain to be played.- Our Chess Correspondent.

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