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Thursday, May 27, 2004

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Champion stuff from Parimarjan

By Our Sports Reporter

KOZHIKODE, MAY 26. Parimarjan Negi lifted the National sub-junior championship after winning a must-win final round encounter against sole overnight leader K. Vijay Keerthi on Wednesday afternoon at the Chess India Complex.

It's a remarkable effort, for the kid is just 11, and the tournament is open to players below the age of 15. He thus becomes the country's youngest ever National sub-junior champion, sinking the record of Pendyala Harikrishna by over four months.

``Yes, this is the best performance of my career,'' Parimarjan told The Hindu. It's the third National title for the Indian Airlines scholar from Delhi, where he's a sixth standard student at the Amity International School.

Parimarjan, also the youngest Indian to get an International Master norm, employed the Sicilian Defence against a rival who was, understandably, desperately playing for a draw. His determination as well as superior skills in a rook-ending won him the game in 51 moves.

Despite the loss, Vijay, who needed only a draw to take the title, finished the clear runner-up with 7.5 points, half-point behind the champion. The third place went to Rahul Sangma, who had the best progressive score among six players with seven points apiece.

Meanwhile, the girls' champion Saheli Nath ended her campaign with a flourish. She defeated P. Lakshmi Sahithi in the final round to finish with 8.5 points from nine rounds. An impressive score, which looks even more impressive when you note the tally of the runner-up Soumya Swaminathan -- seven. The third place went to I. Ramya Krishna, who also scored seven.

Important results (ninth round):

Boys: K. Vijay Keerthi (Kar) 7.5 lost to Parimarjan Negi (Del) 8; Soumitra Mujumdar (Mah) 7 drew with D. Sai Srnivas (AP) 7; Aswin Jayaram (TN) 6 lost to Rahul Sangma (Ben) 7; Mary Ann Gomes (Ben) 7 bt R.A. Pradeep Kumar (TN) 6; Y. Sandeep (AP) 6 lost to R. Premnath (TN) 7; Adity Udeshi (Mah) 7 bt Meghan Gupte (Mah) 5.5; G.N. Gopal (Ker) 6.5 bt S. Nitin (TN) 5.5; T. Abhay (TN) 6 drew with K. Narayanan (TN) 6; Akshat Kamparia (MP) 6 drew with Debaditta Sinha Biswas (Ben) 6; S.P. Sethuraman (TN) 5.5 lost to B. Adhiban (TN) 6.5; Ved Prakash Sinha (Bih) 6.5 bt A. Tejdeep (AP) 5.5; Bagdi Avi (MP) 6.5 bt K. Priyadarshan (NT) 5.5; Soumya Thakurta (Ben) 5.5 lost to Suman Basu (Ben) 6.5; Sandipan Chatterjee (Ben) 5.5 lost to V. Somesh (TN) 6.5.

Girls: P. Lakshmi Sahithi (AP) 6.5 lost to Saheli Nath (Ben) 8.5; P. Sivasankari (TN) 6.5 drew with Soumya Swaminathan (Mah) 7.5; M. Rajadarshini (TN) 6.5 drew with Bhakti Kulkarni (Goa) 6.5; Kiran Monisha Mohanty (Ori) 6.5 drew with Dhyani Dave (Guj) 6.5; I. Ramya Krishna (AP) 7 bt Ketaki Kulkarni (Mah) 6; J. Rajasurya (TN) 6.5 drew with R.K. Shruke (TN) 6; Anjana N. Sowjanya (TN) 5.5 lost to R. Preethi (TN) 6.5; K. Lakshmi Praneetha (AP) 6.5 bt H.P. Pallavi Maia (Kar) 5.5; S.V. Sathya Priya (TN) 5 lost to N. Raghavi (TN) 6; S. Harini (TN) 6 bt Saba Mhate (Mah) 5; P.K. Jayashree (TN) 6 bt V.K. Sindhu (TN) 5; M.S. Nandini (TN) 5.5 drew with Gomathy (TN) 5.5; K. Sruthi (TN) 5 lost to P. Uthra (TN) 6; Meenu Rajendran (Ker) 6 bt R. Aparna (Ker) 5; Mitali M. Patil (Mah) 6 bt N. Jananipriya (Kar) 4.5.

The placings:

Boys: 1. Negi 8, 2. Vijay 7.5, 3-8. Sangma, Mary, Sai, Premnath, Soumitra and Udeshi 7, 9-14. Sinha, Somesh, Adhiban, Gopal, Basu and Bagdi 6.5.

Girls: 1. Saheli 8.5, 2-3. Soumya and Ramya 7, 4-12. Rajadarshini, Kiran, Praneetha, Bhakti, Rajasurya, Sivasankari, Sahithi, Dhyani and Preethi 6.5.

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