DK Sharma draws with another GM

February 8: Top Seed Grandmaster Alexei Federov of Belarus outclassed India's N Neelkanthan to shoot into sole lead with three points aft...

February 8: Top Seed Grandmaster Alexei Federov of Belarus outclassed India8217;s N Neelkanthan to shoot into sole lead with three points after the end of the 3rd round of the tenth Goodricke International Open Chess Tournament at Gorky Sadan.

Overnight joint leaders GMs R Slobodjan Germany and Sergei Dolmatov Russia played a quick draw amongst themselves while International Women Master N Saritha played imaginatively to hold GM Dibyendu Barua in a hard fought game.

At the time of going to press, a pack of 10 players were closely on the heels of the leader with 2.5 points each to their credit. They are Slobodjan, Dolmatov, Saritha, Barua, GM V Bologan Moldova, GM Alexander Wojtkeiwicz Poland, GM M Ulibin Russia, GM Evgeny Gleizerov Russia, IM Zia ur Rahman Bangladesh and GM Dorian Rogozenko Romania.

IM norm holder Dinesh Kumar Sharma continued his excellent run in the tournament to hold Grandmaster Yuri Shulman of Bulgaria in a French defence Winawer variation game with white pieces. Shulmanplayed the double edged pawn sack variation but a deviation from theory by Sharma, coupled with a draw proposal left him thinking for over 45 minutes after which he agreed to split the point.

Both Sharma and Sulman moved to 2 points with this draw. Federov was in his element today. Playing his pet Kings Gambit, he faced the recently fashionable 3. Be7 from Neelkanthan. Wild complications followed as Federov gave up his right to castle and initiated a King-side attack with his queen and minor pieces. Neelkanthan resisted the slaughter for some time but a queenside pawn advance saw his vital King bishop pawn perish after which it was a matter of routine technique for Federov.

India8217;s foremost GM norm prospect in the event IM K Sasikiran bounced back in reckoning with an easy win over compatriot Sriram Jha with black pieces. Jha employed the Guico Piano and sacrificed a pawn on the 8th move to tie up Sasikiran8217;s pieces but never got enough compensation for the lost material. In a picturesque finale,Sasikiran trapped Jha8217;s queen to force resignation on the 28th move. Sasikiran has two points while Jha is on one.

GM Barua achieved equality quite easily early on in Queens Gambit declined with black pieces and started directing his forces on the isolated queen pawn. Saritha, however, defended well and posted her pieces on correct central squares to salvage a half point.

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GM Wojtkeizicz got the better of former National champion IM P Konguvel in a Sicilian Accelerated Dragon with white pieces. Konguvel got a healthy looking position out of the opening with thematic piece play but sacrificed a pawn hastily to complicate matters. Later in mutual time pressure Konguvel missed a drawing combination on the 38th move to lose eventually.

Second seed GM Bologan played a fine game with black pieces to score over GM S Zagrebelny of Uzbekistan. Bologan played the Sicilian and exerted pressure on the queenside pawns in the middlegame to win the game in copy book fashion.

Youngster RR Laxman went down to GM MUlibin with black pieces while Arghyadeep Das too could not do much against the efforts GM Gleizerov.