Humpy retains lead

Mumbai, September 9: With only one round left to be played in the Asianchess championship, the issue of winner is still being disputed in ...

Mumbai, September 9: With only one round left to be played in the Asianchess championship, the issue of winner is still being disputed in bothgirls and boy’s section. IWM Swati Ghate, who was running atop the pointstable with compatriot IWM Koneru Humpy on Friday, lost to another IWM NishaMohata in the tenth round game on Saturday to slip to third position withtwo others. But, Humpy, playing to her potentials, downed JE Kavitha toregained the sole lead with 7.5 points. She is followed by Chinese girl YuTing with seven points.

In the boy’s section, the scene is further complicated as IM SunderrajanKidambi and Qatar boy Al Sayed Mohammed joined overnight leader PHarikrishna and Tejas Bakre at the top with each having seven points at theend of penultimate round. Surya Sekhar Ganguly, who was leading the packalong with top seed Hari and Bakre, lost to Al Sayed and now finds himselfin the second spot along with Ghaem Maghami of Iran and S Satyapragyan ofIndia with 6.5 points each.

Whoever wins the championship with half-a-point lead will get GrandmasterNorm in both the category.

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On the top board game of Queens Gambit Meran Variation between Swati andNisha, both went according to the book till the ninth move. on the 22ndmove, Nisha, playing with white pieces, got knight outpost on `d6′ square.

On the 27th move, Nisha got passed `e’ pawn. Swati played a bad move `Ng5’on her 33rd move. Under time pressure she lost the knight on 36th move. Shefinally resigned on the next move.

In a game of Irregular Double Fianchetto Opening against Kavitha, Humpysacrifised a pawn on 23rd move. Later she regained on 26th move and gotanother pawn on 28th. By 33rd move, Humpy got two connected passed pawn onb and c files. Kavitha lost a piece on the 39th move and ultimately resignedon the 42nd move when threat of mate was looming large.

In the boy’s section, the top board game of Nilmzo-Indian Defence betweenGhaem Maghami of Iran and Harikrishna, Maghami, playing with white, got anisolated pawn on d4 by ninth move. Later by exchanging the isolated `d’ pawnon the 20th move. Both players exchanged all pieces except a rook on eachside.

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