Indians settle for draws

UDAIPUR, JAN 15: Indian players played safe even as players from China and Vietman continued to dominated the second men's Asian Chess Cha...

UDAIPUR, JAN 15: Indian players played safe even as players from China and Vietman continued to dominated the second men8217;s Asian Chess Championship at the City Palace on Saturday.

At the end of sixth round, Grandmaster Xu Jun of China, seeded third, maintained his overnight one point lead with a 30-move win over countrymate and second seed GM Zhang Zhong on the top board. Vietnam8217;s 21-year-old GM Dao Thien Hai, who scored a 32-move win over IM Vahidov Tai on the third board, is alone, trailing the leader at second spot with 4.5 points.Six Indians faced each other and settled for draw, wherein the game between GM Dibyendu Barua and FIDE Master P Harikrishna had some exciting moments towards the end.

Double GM norm-holder Abhijit Kunte drew his third successive round, this time against S Kidambi and has almost no chance now to complete his GM title. India still has hopes of seeing one player completing his GM title, as K Sasikiran, seeded eighth, held Chinies GM Wang Zili in 23 moves.National B champion Surya Shekhar Ganguly caved in in 33 moves against top seed GM Peng Xiadmin, in the Scotch opening.

GM Pravin Thipsay 2.5, seeded 12th, suffered defeat on the eighth board agianst Uzbek GM Yuldasahev Saydalli 3.5.

WIM S Vijayalkshmi held Vietnam8217;s 20-years-old WGM Hoang Thanh Trang on the top board. Trang continues to lead the field with five points along with top seed Chinies WGM Qin Kanying, who defeated WIM Swati Ghate 3.5.

Results 5th round
Men8217;S: GM Zhang Zhong CHI, 2611 3.5 lost to GM Xu Jun CHI, 2578 5.5; GM Wang Zili CHI, 2571 4 drew IM K Sasikiran IND, 2514 4; IM Vahidov Tai UZB, 2505 3 lost to GM Dao Thien Hai VIE, 2550 4.5; S S Ganguly IND, 2440 3 lost to GM Peng Xiadmin CHI, 2624 4; GM Dibyendu Barua IND, 255 3 drew FM P Harikrishna IND, 2354 3; GM Pravin Thipsay IND, 2475 2.5 lost to GM Yuldasahev Saydalli UZB, 2509 3.5; IM Reefat Bin Satter BAN, 2379 3 drew FM Ghaem Meghami Eshan IRAN, 2446 2.5; IM G B Prakash IND, 2435 3 drew IM D V Prasad IND, 2421 2.5; IM Abhijit Kunte IND, 2487 2.5 drew S Kidambi IND, 2433 2.5; FM Timothy Reilly Australia, 2192 2 lost to Hatem Ahamed YEMEN, 2350 2.5; Razaei Saravi Reza IRAN, 2220 1.5 drew IM Isaev Jamshed TAZ, 2425 2. IM Sudhakar Babu IND, 2336 2.5 bye. IM Kayumov Dimitry UZB, 2475 3.5 drew IM Ziaur Rahaman BAN, 2465 3.5; IM R B Ramesh IND, 2443 3 drew IM Wu Wenjin CHI, 2522 2.

Women: WIM S Vijayalkshmi IND, 2383 4 drew WGM Hoang Thanh Trang CHI, 2448 5; WGM Qin Kanying CHI, 2475 5 bt WIM Swati Ghate IND, 2297 3.5; WGM Mamedova Rena UZB, 2323 4.5 bt WIM Sargeeva Maria KAZ, 2207 3.5; WGM Wang Pin CHI, 2469 3 lost to WIM Sargeeva Tatiana KAZ, 2250 3.5; WFM Tanima Praveen BAN, 2080 2 lost to WFM Xu Yuanyuan CHI, 2370 3; WFM Saheli Dhar Barua IND, 2185 3 bt WFM Safira Shanaz IND, 2136 2; Tania Sachdev IND, 2105 3 bye; WIM Koneru Humpy IND, 2244 2.5 lost to WIM Bhagyasree Thipsay IND, 2247 3.5; WIM Rani Hamid IND, 2136 3 beat WFM Narelle Szuvege AUS, 2040 2; Vineetha Wijesurya SRI LANKA 2 beat Siti Zulaika MAL 1.