The Hindu : Harika, Ravi Teja among leaders

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Oct 30, 2003

Sport

Sport - Chess

Harika, Ravi Teja among leaders

KOZHIKODE OCT. 29. India's Dronavalli Harika and S. Ravi Teja were among the leaders after the sixth round of the World Youth chess championship at Halkidiki in Greece.

On the top board in the girls' under-14 event, Harika beat overnight sole leader Turkan Madedjarov of Azerbaijan to take her tally to 5.5 points. She shared the lead with Russian Valentina Gunina, who beat compatriot Viktorija Tarasova. The other Indians competing in this section are N. Raghavi, who had 4.5 points, J. Rajasurya (3.5) and Kajri Choksi (2.5).

Ravi Teja, who had won his first five rounds, had to split the point with Sanan Sjugirov of Russia on the top board in the boys under-10. The duo shared the lead with 5.5 points apiece. Parimarjan Negi was on 4.5 and Aditya Udesi and K. Priyadarshan four each.

Asian women's champion and former World junior girls' champion Koneru Humpy was in the joint second position with 4.5 points in the under-16 boys' event. She drew her sixth round encounter with Luka Lenic of Slovenia (five points), who was in the lead with three others. Deepan Chakravarthy had 4.5 points, Akshayraj Kore 4 and K. Nikilesh Kumar 3.5.

India has little chances in the boys' under-18, as Saptarshi Roy was languishing with 3.5 points. Current World junior champion Shakriyaz Mamedyarov was leading the event with the maximum six points.

Things look equally bleak for India in the girls' under-18, with P. Priya on three points, way below the leader and defending World junior girls' champion Nana Dzagnidge of Georgia, who had 5.5 points.

N. Vinuthna had four points in the girls' under-16, in which Salome Melia of Georgia was in the lead with 5.5 points. Another Georgian, Sopiko Guramishvilli, was leading the girls' under-12 event, with the full six points. India's K. Lakshmi Praneetha and I. Ramya Krishna had four each and Dhyani Dave three.

P. Lakshmi Sahithi and Gundala Madanasri had five points in the girls' under-10, half-a-point behind the jont leaders Yifan Hou of China and M. Hejaziapour of Iran. Mohana Priya was on 4.5 and G. Sirisha 2.5.

R. Ashwath had four points in the boys' under-12 section, in which three were in the lead with 5.5 points each -- Liem Le Qaung of Vietnam, Daza Emilio Cordova of Peru and Chenpeng Wei of China.

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