The Hindu : Sport / Chess : Tania and Harika post victories

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Friday, Nov 18, 2005

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Tania and Harika post victories

NEW DELHI: Tania Sachdev and D. Harika employed the Sicilian Defence effectively moving to offensive mode for much-needed victories in the seventh round of the World junior chess championship in Istanbul on Wednesday.

Tania overpowered Russia's Evgenia Mescheriakova in 51 moves to reach five points and shared the fifth spot with four others.

Harika tamed Poland's Karina Szczepkowska to raise her tally to 4.5 points and was tied 11th with seven others.

Eesha Karavade and Kruttika Nadig drew their games but N. Raghavi lost to Bulgaria's Elitsa Raeva.

Xiaboing ahead

China's Xiaboing continued to lead with six points in the girls' section while Azerbaijan's top seed and 2003 boys' champion Shakriyar Mamedyarov enlarged his lead to 1.5 points after beating countryman and third seed Vugar Gashimov.

Mamedyarov, with 6.5 points followed by a 12-player pack in the second spot.

Among the Indian boys, Parimarjan Negi came up with another creditable result when he drew with Russia's Vasily Papin in 51 moves. Papin adopted the Dragon variation of Sicilian Defence for the first time, instead of his preferred line of Paulsen, and surprised Negi.

The youngster took some time to find the correct continuation and forced Papin to give up a minor piece for two pawns.

Around the first time-control, Negi looked better off. But his choice of exchange of one of the rooks proved inaccurate and allowed Papin to escape with a draw.

Poobesh shares honours

Poobesh Anand was expected to beat his lesser-rated rival but drew. Deep Sengupta and G.N. Gopal signed peace while G. Rohit won as expected.

Akshat Khamparia went down with white pieces to his lower-rated Turkish opponent.

The results (seventh round, Indians unless stated):

Boys: Shakhriyar Mamedyarov (Aze, 6.5) bt Vugar Gashimov (Aze, 4.5); Alexander Kharitonov (Rus, 5) drew with Alekseev Evgeny (Rus, 5); Bartel Mateusz (Pol, 5) drew with Wojtaszek Radoslaw (Pol, 5); Jan Smeets (Ned, 5) drew with Wang Yue (Chn, 5); Tomi Nyback (Fin, 5) bt Evgeny Romanov (Rus, 4.5).

Other results involving Indians: S. Poobesh Anand (4) drew with Farid Zeynalov (Aze, 4); Parimarjan Negi (3.5) drew with Vasily Papin (Rus, 3.5); Deep Sengupta (3.5) drew with G. N. Gopal (3.5); G. Rohit (3.5) bt Can Emre (Tur, 3.5); Akshat Khamparia (2) lost to Yagiz Yasin Emrah (Tur, 3).

Girls: Beata Kadziolka (Pol, 5.5) drew with Gu Xiaobing (Chn, 6); Turkan Mamedjarova (Aze, 5.5) drew with Dana Aketaeva (Kaz, 5); Nana Dzagnidze (Geo, 5) drew with Elisabeth Paehtz (Ger, 5); Natalija Pogonina (Rus, 5.5) bt Anna Ushenina (Ukr, 4.5); Anna Sherevich (Blr, 4) lost to Irina Vasilevich (Rus, 5).

Other results involving Indians: Evgenia Meshcheriakova (Rus, 5) lost to Tania Sachdev (5); Bela Khotenashvili (Geo) drew with Eesha Karavade (4); Karina Szczepkowska (Pol, 3.5) lost to D. Harika (4.5); Kruttika Nadig (4) drew with Vera Nebolsina (Rus, 4); N. Raghavi (3) lost to Elitsa Raeva (Bul, 3).

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