Navin Kanna & Ganesh Babu share lead

Navin Kanna & Ganesh Babu share lead – By R.R.Vasudevan

International Master Navin Kanna and Ganesh Babu led the table with 6.5 points after the 8th and penultimate round of the Dhanalakshmi College of Engg 23rd National Youth (Under 25) Chess Championship at Dhanalakshmi College premises, here today.

Half a point behind the leaders at 6 points were IMs Shyam Nikil and Rajesh VAV, along with Krishna Teja N, Saravana Krishnan P and Kumaran B respectively.

In crucial top board games, talented Chennai boy Kumaran held top seed Shyam Nikil to a draw. In the second and third boards Navin Kanna and Ganesh Babu scored over Nitin & Eashwar to move into lead.

The final round is scheduled for tomorrow.

IM Nitin Senthilvel – IM Navin Kanna T U

1.Nf3 c5 2.e4 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Qxd4 Nc6 5.Bb5 Bd7 6.Bxc6 Bxc6 7.Nc3 Nf6 8.Bg5 e5 9.Qd3 Be7 10.O-O-O O-O 11.Bxf6 Bxf6 12.Nd5 Rc8 13.Kb1 Bxd5 14.Qxd5 Rc6 15.Rd2 Qc7 16.Rhd1 Rc8 17.Ne1 Bg5 18.Re2 a5 19.Qb3 Rc4 20.Rd5 a4 21.Qd3 Be7 22.g3 b5 23.Ng2 a3 24.b3 Rc3 25.Qd1 Bg5 26.Rd3 d5 27.Ne1 dxe4 28.Rxe4 f5 29.Re2 Rxd3 30.Nxd3 e4 31.Qe1 Bf6 0-1

Main Results (Round 8) : Kumaran B (6) drew with Shyam Nikil P (6), Nitin Senthilvel (5.5) lost to Navin Kanna T U (6.5), Eashwar M (5.5) lost to Ganesh Babu S (6.5), Rajesh VAV (6) bt Kadav Omkar (5), Pranav Vijay (5) lost to  Saravana Krishnan P (6), Hemant Sharma (5.5) drew with Sai Vishwesh C (5.5)