The Hindu : Sport / Chess : Ganguly jumps back into lead

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Ganguly jumps back into lead

P. K. Ajith Kumar

Tastes victory after five frustrating draws in a row

MANGALORE: Relief was writ large on his face as Surya Shekhar Ganguly emerged out of the Karnataka Bank Auditorium on Sunday evening. Finally, after five frustrating draws in a row — the longest ever in his career, the defending champion won a game in the 46th National ‘A’ men’s chess championship.

The victory against M.S. Thejkumar in an eventful 11th round, in which all but one board produced decisive results, has put the top seed back in the lead, along with the second-seeded Parimarjan Negi, who had a rest day.

With just two rounds remaining, Ganguly and Negi have seven points each, half-a-point ahead of Akshayraj Kore, the surprise package of the tournament. On Sunday too, Kore happily sacrificed a piece as he defeated B. Adhiban.

K. Ratnakaran, who beat P. Konguvel, and J. Deepan Chakravarthy, who prevailed over M. Shyam Sundar to register his first win in nine days, are in the third position with six points apiece.

Third seed Neelotpal Das has brightened his chances of a finish inside the top six, the requirement to be in the Indian team for various tournaments, after his victory over Praveen Thipsay.

Ganguly, looking for his record-breaking sixth title in a row, was desperate for the full point against Thejkumar.

Playing on the white side of an Advance variation of Caro-Kann Defence, he punished his rival for his indecent haste to grab a pawn on the 17th move back, which he had to give back almost, with interest, just three moves later.

The defending champion went on to win in 46 with two connected passers in the centre.

Kore beats Adhiban

Kore, playing from the white side of a Four Knights Game, sacrificed one of those knights and forced Adhiban to give his queen for a rook and a knight to win in 42 moves.

Neelotpal overcame Thipsay in the longest battle of the day, after 75 moves of a Two Knights’ Defence, on account of two passers.

The results (11th round): Akshayraj Kore 6.5 bt B. Adhiban 3; J. Deepan Chakravarthy 6 bt M. Shyam Sundar 4; Sriram Jha 5 drew with S. Satyapragyan 5; Surya Shekhar Ganguly 7 bt M.S. Thejkumar 3.5; Neelotpal Das 5.5 bt Praveen Thipsay 3.5; K. Ratnakaran 6 bt P. Konguvel 4; Parimarjan Negi 7 bye.

The 12th round pairings: Thipsay v Ratnakaran; Thejkumar v Neelotpal; Satyapragyan v Ganguly; Shyam v Jha; Adhiban v Deepan; Negi v Kore; Konguvel bye.

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