Five Share Lead After Two Rounds

Five Share Lead After Two Rounds
BY Arvind Aaron

Five players share the lead after two rounds in the South Indian Bank – CMS National Premier Chess Championship that is taking place at Kottayam in Kerala on December 6, 2014.

Three players from Railways and two from the Petroleum are among the five leaders with 1.5 points from two games. It is a long 13-round contest and eleven rounds remain to be played. Only two states – Tamil Nadu and Odisha and two employers – Railways and Petroleum are competing in this edition.

Deepal Chakravarthy, Sahaj Grover, P Karthikeyan of Railways along with Deep Sengupta and Lalith Babu of PSPB are among the players ahead in the points table on 1.5 out of two games.

Swayams Mishra offered and obtained a draw in 35 moves from a slightly better position against Sahaj Grover that emerged from a Maroczy Bind position.

Deep Sengupta won a central pawn on move 27 and added more pawns to his kitty to defeat Shyam Nikil in 45 moves.

Deepan Chakravarthy sacrificed a pawn on move 12 and later a rook on move 26 to defeat Girinath a move later with the black pieces.

Lalith Babu jumped into the leaders list by winning a rook for knight and the game against V.A.V. Rajesh in 65 moves.

In another Maroczy Bind, Kunte and Vidit Gujrathi repeated the position and drew in 26 moves.

In a double edged minor piece ending, Sethuraman promoted first and took a draw by perpetual checks against Karthikeyan in 54 moves.

There are eight GMs and five IMs in this field. IA R Anantharam of Sivakasi is the chief arbiter.

The results (round two): IM Swayams Mishra (Odi) 0.5 drew with GM Sahaj Grover (Rly) 1.5; GM S.P. Sethuraman (PSPB) 1 drew with IM P Karthikeyan (Rly) 1.5; GM Deep Sengupta (PSPB) 1.5 bt IM P Shyam Nikil (TN) 0.5; IM P.D.S. Girinath (Rly) 0 lost to GM J Deepan Chakravarthy (Rly) 1.5; GM M.R. Lalith Babu (PSPB) 1.5 bt IM V.A.V. Rajesh (TN) 1; GM Abhijit Kunte (PSPB) 0.5 drew with GM Vidit Gujrathi (PSPB) 1; GM R.R. Laxman (Rly) 0 – bye