Chinese checkers reign supreme at Asian Chess

Second seed GM Zhang Zhong and top seed GM Peng Xiadmin finished at eight points after the 11th and final round. However, Zhong, having a higher average rating based on opponents he played in the meet (2495), was adjudged second, while Xiadmin was third.

Vietnam’s GM Dao Thien Hai, the second runner-up in the inaugural championship last year, could not maintain his position this time round, ending fourth with 7.5 points.

The Indians, however, had a disappointing run in this championship. Among the 11 Indians who took part in the men’s section, only four figured in the top ten, led by IM Krishnan Sasikiran, who came fifth with seven points, followed by IM RB Ramesh (6.5), IM Abhijit Kunte (6) at the eighth spot and GM Pravin Thipsay finishing last in the prize list at 10th place.

The other Indian GM in the fray, Dibyendu Barua, last years runner-up, finished way down the list. Barua could manage only 5.5 points, having two wins, seven draws and two losses.

In the women’s championship, IWM Subburaman Vijayalakshmi finished fifth with seven points. Chinese WGM Qin Kanying, the top seed, came second with 8.5 points, followed by the sixth seed, Uzbek WGM Mamedova Rena (7.5), second-seeded Chinese WGM Wang Pin (7.5) and WIM Sargeeva Maria of Kazakhistan at fourth.

With the end of the final round, the hopes of three Indians, who were on their way to achieving personal milestones, also came to an end. Sasikiran, who required a win today to complete his third GM norm, was forced to draw by FIDE Master P Harikrishna on the fifth board. Surya Shekhar Ganguly’s dream of winning an IM title was crushed by IM RB Ramesh on the next board.

Tania Sachdev, needing only a draw to win her first IWM norm, also had a disappointing day when she lost to the ultimate winner Trang on the top board in a fully stretched game, in Kings Indian defence opening.

Results (Round XI)

Men’s: GM Peng Xiadmin (Chi, 2624) 8 drew with GM Wang Zili (Chi, 2571) 6; GM Yuldashev Saydalli (Uzb, 2509) 5.5 lost to GM Xu Jun (Chi, 2578) 8.5; GM Zhang Zhong (Chi, 2611) 8 bt IM Wu Wenjin (Chi, 2522) 5.5; GM Dao Thien Hai (Vie, 2550) 7.5 drew with IM Abhijit Kunte (Ind, 2487) 6; IM K Sasikiran (Ind, 2514) 7 drew with FM P Harikrishna (Ind, 2354) 6; SS Ganguly (Ind, 2440) 5.5 lost to IM RB Ramesh (Ind, 2443) 6.5; IM GB Prakash (Ind, 2435) 5 lost to IM Vahidov Tair (Uzb, 2505) 6; GM Pravin Thipsay (Ind, 2475) 6 bt IM Reefat Bin Satter (Ban, 2379) 5; IM DV Prasad (Ind, 2421) 5 lost to FM Ghaem Meghami Eshan (Iran, 2446) 6; S Kidambi (Ind, 2433) 5.5 bt IM Sudhakar Babu (Ind, 2336) 4.5; IM Isaev Jamshed (Taz, 2425) 5 bt IM Ziaur Rahaman (Ban, 2465) 4.5; FM Timothy Reilly (Aus, 2192) 3.5 lost to GM Dibyendu Barua (Ind, 2555) 5.5; Razaei Saravi Reza (Iran, 2220) 1.5 lost to Hatem Ahamed (Yemen, 2350) 5.5; IM Kaumov Dimitry (Uzb, 2475) 5.5 bye.

Women: WGM Hoang Thanh Trang (Chi, 2448) 9 bt Tania Sachdev (Ind, 2105) 6; WGM Qin Kanying (Chi, 2475) 8.5 bt WIM Rani Hamid (Ind, 2136) 5; WGM Mamedova Rena (Uzb, 2323) 7.5 bt WIM Sargeeva Tatania (Kaz, 2250) 5.5; WIM Sargeeva Maria (Kaz, 2207) 7 drew with WIM Bhagyasree Thipsay (Ind, 2247) 6; WFM Safira Shanaz (Ind, 2136) 5 lost to WGM Wang Pin (Chi, 2469) 7.5; WFM Xu Yuanyuan (Chi, 2370) 5 lost to WIM S Vijayalakshmi (Ind, 2383) 7; WFM Saheli Dhar Barua (Ind, 2185) 6 bt Siti Zulaika (Mal) 1; WFM Tanima Praveen (Ban, 2080) 5.5 bt WFM Narelle Szuvege (Aus, 2040) 3.5; WIM Swati Ghate (Ind, 2297) 5.5 bt Vineetha Wijesurya (Lanka) 3; WIM Koneru Humpy (Ind, 2244) 5.5 bye.