The Hindu : Sport / Chess : Indian challenge ends as Harikrishna, Neelotpal bow out

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Jun 24, 2004

Sport

Sport - Chess

Indian challenge ends as Harikrishna, Neelotpal bow out

TRIPOLI, JUNE 23. Indian challenge ended at the World chess championship as GM P. Harikrishna and International Master Neelotpal Das bowed out in the second round.

Harikrishna went out after a valiant effort against European Champion and 2001 finalist Vassily Ivanchuk of Ukraine in the second round while Das lost in the first set of tiebeak rapid games against Armenian GM Ashot Anastesian. Das had earlier held his famous rival to a draw twice in the normal time control in the two-game match but failed to keep the momentum ticking in the rapid chess.

India fielded five players in the championship but stalwarts Krishnan Sasikiran, Dibyendu Barua and Surya Shekhar Ganguly crashed out in the first round itself and with the ouster of Harikrishna and Das in round two the team will return home early.

Top seed GM Veselin Topalov of Bulgaria proceeded to the third round with back-to-back victories over compatriot Alexander Delchev. Also moving to the next round was Romanian Liviu-Dieter Nisipainu who drew his second game against Dutch GM Sergei Tiviakov after winning the first game.

Youngest participant left in the fray, 16-years-old Hikaru Nakamura of United States continued to impress. The teenager defeated experienced GM Aleksej Aleksandrov of Belarus 1.5-0.5 after drawing his second game.

The oldest competitor, Alexander Beliavsky of Slovenia, also made it to the third round following his 1.5-0.5 victory in the tiebreak games against Mikhail Kobalija of Russia after both the games under normal time control were drawn.

The results: Round two: Aleksander Delchev (Bul) lost to Veselin Topalov (Bul); Elarbi Abobker (Lba) lost to Pavel Smirnov (Rus); Karen Asrian (Arm) lost to Michael Adams (Eng); Alexander Grischuk (Rus) bt Vasilios Kotronias (Cyp); P. Harikrishna (Ind) lost to Vassily Ivanchuk (Ukr); Nigel Short (Eng) lost to Michal Krasenkow (Pol); Lenier Dominguez (Cub) bt Vladimir Malakhov (Rus); Liviu-Dieter Nisipeanu (Rom) bt Sergei Tiviakov (Ned); Andrei Kharlov (Rus) bt Ivan Sokolov (Ned); Alexey Dreev (Rus) bt Ruben Felgaer (Arg); Utut Adianto (Ina) lost to Vladimir Akopian (Arm); Ye Jiangchuan (Chn) bt Ni Hua (Chn); Ashot Anastasian (Arm) bt Neelotpal Das (Ind); Zurab Azmaiparashvili (Geo) lost to Alexander Lastin (Rus); Darmen Sadvakasov (Kaz) lost to Etienne Bacrot (Fra); Mikhail Gurevich (Bel) lost to Zdenko Kozul (Cro); Teimour Radjabov (Aze) bt Peter Heine Nielsen (Den); Hikaru Nakamura (Usa) bt Aleksej Aleksandrov (Blr); Alexander Beliavsky (Slo) bt Mikhail Kobalia (Rus); Zoltan Almasi (Hun) bt Francisco Vallejo Pons (Esp); Viktor Bologan (Mda) lost to Alexander Moiseenko (Ukr); Sarunas Sulskis (Ltu) lost to Konstantin Sakaev (Rus); Kritz Leonid (Ger) lost to Rafael Leitao (Bra); Smbat Lputian (Arm) lost to Shakhriyaz Mamedyarov (Aze); Alexander Graf (Ger) lost to Vladislav Tkachiev (Fra); Aleksander Wojtkiewicz (Usa) lost to Vadim Zvjaginsev (Rus); Rustan Kasimdzhanov (Uzb) bt Ehsan Ghaem Maghami (Iri); Valerij Filippov (Rus) bt Loek Van Wely (Ned); Hichem Hamdouchi (Mar) bt Sergey Kudrin (USA); Levon Aronian (Arm) bt Gadir Guseinov (Aze); Peter Acs (Hun) lost to Sergei Movsesian (Svk). — PTI

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Sport