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Sasikiran, Laznicka share lead

Special Correspondent

KOLKATA: It was no surprise that the two Grandmasters in form, Krishnan Sasikiran of India and Viktor Laznicka of Czech Republic, shared the lead with 7.5 points each at the end of the ninth and penultimate round of the third Kolkata Open chess tournament at the Gorky Sadan here on Tuesday.

In a surprise result, International Master S. Arun Prasad beat Russian GM Vladimir Dobrov to earn a nine-game GM norm. Prasad was handily placed second with seven points. Seven more were in the joint third place with 6.5. Untitled Filipino Rolando Nolte stunned Bangladesh GM Abdulla Al-Rakib to make a nine-game GM norm as well.

GM Sandipan Chanda was under pressure against Sasikiran’s Sicilian defence and eventually gave up on the 36th move when faced with a checkmate. This win enabled the Indian Super GM to stay in the lead and have a shot at the title in the final round on Wednesday.

GM Laznicka came up with another impressive game to defeat GM Koneru Humpy. IM Saptarshi Roy badly needed a win against GM Ehsan Ghaem Maghami of Iran to achieve his maiden GM norm. But the Iranian put up a rock-solid defence to thwart Roy. The Indian IM still has some mathematical chances of earning the GM norm if he wins his last round.

Important results (Indians, unless stated otherwise): Sandipan Chanda (6.5) lost to Krishnan Sasikiran (7.5); Viktor Laznicka (Cze, 7.5) bt Koneru Humpy (6.5); Adly Ahmed (Egy, 6.5) drew with Safin Shukhrat (Uzb, 6.5); S. Arun Prasad (7) bt Vladimir Dobrov (Rus, 6); Ehsan Ghaem Maghami (Iri, 6) drew with Saptarshi Roy (6); Nguyen Anh Dung (Vie, 6) drew with R.B. Ramesh (6); Rolando Nolte (Phi, 6.5) bt Abdulla Al-Rakib (Ban, 5.5); Ziaur Rahman (Ban, 6.5) bt P. Konguvel (5.5); Tejas Bakre (6.5) bt Dibyendu Barua (5.5); Smbat G. Lputian (Arm, 5.5) drew with Oliver Barbosa (Phi, 5.5).

Niaz Murshed (Ban, 5) lost to Alberto David (Lux, 6); Arghyadip Das (5.5) drew with Enamul Hossain (Ban, 5.5); B.T. Murali Krishnan (5.5) drew with Sriram Jha (5.5); G.B. Prakash (6) bt M.R. Venkatesh (5); Sundararajan Kidambi (6) bt Matta Vinay Kumar (5); Neelotpal Das (5.5) bt Kruttika Nadig (4.5); V. Saravanan (4.5) lost to R.R. Laxman (5.5); S. Satyapragyan (4.5) lost to Sudhakar Babu (5.5); Watu Kobese (SA, 5) drew with Kenny Solomon (SA, 5).

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