The Hindu : Sport / Chess : Laxman clinches GM norm

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Laxman clinches GM norm

NEW DELHI: International Master R. R. Laxman claimed a much-deserved Grandmaster-norm after a final round draw with the seventh-seeded Ukrainian GM Yuri Drozdovskij and finished a creditable seventh, two places behind compatriot Abhijeet Gupta, in the 11th Dubai Open chess tournament in Dubai on Monday.

Laxman scored 6.5 points from nine rounds but initially fell just short of meeting the norm stipulation. The average rating of Laxman’s rivals was 2434 against the stipulated 2435 and his performance rating was 2600 against the required 2601.

However, rule 1.46c came to Laxman’s rescue. The rule allows the rating of the least-rated opponent, in his case Swati Mohota (2114), be raised to 2250 for the purpose of calculating the GM norm. This took the average rating of Laxman’s rivals past the required mark.

Abhijeet took the fifth spot after the world youngest GM from the Philippines, Wesley So, topped a four-way tie for the title at seven points.

At the Gausdal Classics in Gausdal, Norway, G. N. Gopal and Sandipan Chanda (4.5 points each) won their seventh round games to share the second spot behind USA’s Gregory Kaidanov (5.5 points).

In the concurrently-played Group ‘B’ competition, overnight leader S. Kidambi (5) lost to the new leader, Norway’s Jon Ludvig Hammer (5.5).

The results: Dubai Open (ninth round, involving Indians): David Arutinian (Geo, 6.5) drew with Abhijeet Gupta (6.5); R. R. Laxman (6.5) drew with Yuri Drozdovskij (Ukr, 6.5); Zhou Weigqi (Chn, 6) drew with Parimarjan Negi (6); Ashwin Jayaram (6) bt Dinesh Sharma (5); Tania Sachdev (6) bt Atousa Pourkashiyan (Iri, 5); R. B. Ramesh (5.5) bt Farhan Mohannad (Jor, 4.5); Nisha Mohota (5) drew with N. Srinath (5); Mas Hafizulhelmi (Mas, 4.5) lost to Shiven Khosla (5.5); Praveen Kumar (5.5) bt Amin Nasri (Iri, 4.5); Lanka Ravi (5) bt Ehsan Nikzaban (Iri, 4); Ramnath Bhuvanesh (5) bt Moussa Othman (UAE, 4); Sahaj Grover (5) bt Mohammed Saud (4); Tejas Ravichandran (5) received a walkover from Abdulhamid el Arousy (Egy, 4); Obay Ali (4.5) drew with Debashis Das (4.5); C. J. Arvind (5) bt Navid Chaichi (Iri, 4); Sohan Phadke (5) bt Dargan Paul (Eng, 4); Jobannie Tabada (Phi, 5) bt C. Natarajan (4); Aarthie Ramaswamy (4.5) bt Robert Arellano (Phi, 3.5); Leonid Gaponenko (Kaz, 3.5) lost to Sai Meera (4.5); Suresh Kumar (4.5) bt Qu Yanqiao (Chn, 3.5); Anuprita Patil (4.5) bt Pouya Mari Ooriad (Iri, 3.5); K. Haridas (4) bt Alexey Poleschikov (Rus, 3); Swati Mohota (4) bt Eissa Mohamed (UAE, 3); Fayeqa Bukhashem (UAE, 2.5) lost to P. I. Johnny (3.5).

Gausdal Classics (seventh round): Kjetil Lie (Nor, 3.5) lost to G. N. Gopal (4.5); Sandipan Chanda (4.5) bt Irina Krush (USA, 2.5); Eric Moskow (USA, 1) lost to Gregory Kaidanov (USA, 5.5); Oystein Hole (Nor, 1.5) drew with Vasilios Kotronias (Gre, 4); Bartlomiej Macieja (Pol, 4) bt Vyacheslav Ikonnikov (Rus, 3).

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