Kidambi upsets another GM

GM Yehudo Grunfeld of Israel joined overnight leader GM Vadim Milov of Switzerland at the top with 6.5 points after demolishing defending champion GM Milos Pavlovic of Yugoslavia in the 8th game yesterday.

Grunfeld displayed his expertise in the Marcosy Bind against the accelerated dragon by building up a vigorous king side attack. Pavlovic resigned unable to parry mating threats.

Kidambi (5), the youngest member of the Indian contingent who stunned highly-rated GM OgnjenCvijan of Croatia in the 5th round on Friday, now needs only a draw against any player having a rating of over 2400 points in the next round.

Tsetlin played the Panov Botwinnik attack against the Caro Kann defence of Kidambi and conducted an unsound attack. Kidambi defended accurately and later won a piece to carve out a neat victory.

Kunte reached five points with a fine win over Saleh. The former National champion countered the modern defence with a quiet system and hoodwinked his opponent in the middle game by cleverly opening the queen’s flank which netted him two pieces for a rook.

Kunte won the resulting ending with consumate ease.

Another former National champion and GM norm holder, DV Prasad scored a quick 18-move victory against Oliver Koeller of Germany to move to 4.5 points.

Koeller (3.5), who opted the closed Sicilian, got into a inferior position as Prasad’s knight controlled the centre. Prasad later won a piece and the German was forced to give up the struggle.

But the reigningnational champion did not have a good round. Sasikiran remained on four points after he was positionally outplayed by Romanian im Corina Peptan. In a queen pawn Colle system, Peptan won a couple of pawns and reached a queen ending to clinch the issue.

GM Pravin Thipsay (4.5) was unable to make any headway and agreed for a tame draw against Yugoslav IM Sinisa Joksic.

Among the other Indians in the fray, V Saravanan (4.5) prevailed over Nabil Saleh (3.5) of UAE while IWM Anupama Gokhale (2.5) went down to Saleh’s compatriot Abdul Majee (3.5)

Important Results (8th round)

Rashkovsky (6, Russia) drew with Milov (6.5, Switzerland); Gruenfeld (6.5, Israel) bt Pavlovic (5, Yugoslavia): Tyomkin (5.5, Israel) drew with Sturua (5.5, Georgia): Shariazhdhanov (5.5, Russia) drew with Bagirov (5.5, Azerbijan): Kunte (5, India bt Jasim Saleh (4, UAE); Tsettlin (4, Israel) lost to Kidambi (5, India): Koeller (3.5, Germany) lost to Prasad (4.5, India); Joksic (4.5, Yugoslavia) drew with Tipsay (4.5, India):Nabil Saleh (3.5, UAE lost to Saravanan (4.5, India); Sasikiran (4, India) lost to Peptian (5, Romania); Abdul Majee (3.5, UAE) bt IWN Anupama Gokhale (2.5, India)