Federov sole leader

CALCUTTA, FEB 8: Top seed Grandmaster Alexei Federov of Belarus outclassed India's N Neelkanthan to shoot into sole lead with three point...

CALCUTTA, FEB 8: Top seed Grandmaster Alexei Federov of Belarus outclassed India’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 IWM 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. A deviation from theory bySharma, coupled with a draw proposal left him thinking for over 45 minutes after which he agreed to split the point.

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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.

India’s foremost GM norm prospect 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 Sasikiran’s pieces but never got enough compensation for the lost material. In a picturesque finale, Sasikiran trapped Jha’s queen to force resignation on the 28th move. Sasikiran has two pointswhile Jha is on one.

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