The Hindu : Sport / Chess : Sasikiran defeats Hebden

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Jan 31, 2005

Sport

Sport - Chess

Sasikiran defeats Hebden

GIBRALTAR, JAN. 30. Grandmaster Krishnan Sasikiran leaped into joint lead as he defeated English GM Mark Hebden in the fifth round of the master's section of Gibtele.com chess festival at Caleta Hotel here.

Sasikiran, who was joint fifth at the end of fourth round on Saturday, took his tally to four points out of a possible five and is now in a 10-way lead.

Other leaders are top seed Alexei Shirov of Spain, Armenians Levon Aronian and Gabrial Sargissen, Kiril Georgiev of Bulgaria, Hikaru Nakamura of United States, Russian Alexey Dreev, Zahar Efimenko of Ukraine and the Israeli duo of Boris Avrukh and Emil Sutovsky, who all have an identical score as the tournament reached its half way stage.

Thirteen players including GMs Jonathan Speelman of England, Vasilios Kotronias of Greece and Colin Mcnab of Scotland are breathing down the neck of the leaders with 3.5 points apiece. Five rounds still remain in this annual event.

Sasikiran was in his elements in crushing Hebden who was taken to task in an anti-Marshall opening. Playing white, Sasikiran first ensured lively complications in the middle game and just as Hebden felt the heat, the Indian tightened the noose further with a direct attack in the centre.

Hebden found some solace in an exchange sacrifice that led the position to wild tactical possibilities but Sasikiran kept his cool when it mattered and his material advantage eventually ensured the full point in 47 moves.

Important results (fifth round): Levon Aronian (Arm, 4) drew with Kiril Georgiev (Bul, 4); Boris Avrukh (Isr, 4) drew with Gabriel Sargissen (Arm, 4); Alexei Shirov (Esp, 4) bt Sergey Erenburg (Isr, 3); Hicham Hamdouchi (Mar, 3) lost to Alexey Dreev (Rus, 4); Daniel Gormally (Eng, 3) lost to Emil Sutovsky (Isr, 4); Krishnan Sasikiran (Ind, 4) bt Mark Mark Hebden (Eng, 3); Hikaru Nakamura (U.S., 4) bt Gabriel Del Rio (Esp, 3); Ian Rogers (Aus, 3.5) drew with Kateryna Lahno (Ukr, 3.5); Mohamed Al Sayed (Qat, 3.5) drew with Vasilios Kotronias (Gre, 3.5); Juan Manuel Bellon Lopez (Esp, 3) drew with Evgeny Postny (Isr, 3.5); Jovi Radovanovic (2.5, Scg) lost to Kevin Spraggett (Can, 3.5); Jonathan Speelman (Eng, 3.5) beat Watu Kobese (Rsa, 2.5); Hamad Al-Tamimi (Qat, 3.5) beat Iweta Radzeiwicz (Pol, 2.5). — PTI

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

Sport