Kunte let off the hook

PUNE, Aug 26: Double Grandmaster norm holder Abhijit Kunte of India escaped with a lucky draw against GM Van Dan Doel Eric on a day when ...

PUNE, Aug 26: Double Grandmaster norm holder Abhijit Kunte of India escaped with a lucky draw against GM Van Dan Doel Eric on a day when all the top five boards witnessed draws in the fifth round of the Mind Sports Olympiad Masters Chess championship at Kinsington, London today.

According to the reports reaching here, Abhijit Elo 2465, playing with white pieces, miscalculated in the opening with 11th move Bg5 in the Closed Ruy Lopez System opening. This helped GM Eric Elo 2528 gain the double bishop advantage. However, black tried hurrying up and gave an exchange sacrifice, which ultimately helped Abhijit8217;s cause. Abhijit thereafter played a good move Re3 to stop the immediate mating threats and forced a perpetual draw in 36 moves.

Abhijit,along with four others including Eric and V Sarvanan of India, is trailing the four joint leaders by half a point, having 3.5 points.

IM Sarvanan won against C Dunworth Elo 2308 in Benoni Defence from black side. Sarvanan played against the double pawns of white on f8217; file and capitalised well on the opponents bad bishop on white square. Dunworth fell into a trap and lost the Queen for rook and bishop and resigned after 48 moves in hopeless position.

Meanwhile, another Indian Koneru Humpy was a pawn up against the Bangladesh IM Reefat B Sattar Elo 2377, when the last reports came in. Starting with the English Opening, Humpy played well in the middle-game to win a pawn. Reefat was in trouble defending his point in the opposite colour bishop ending.

On the top board, Phsakis 4 and Smirin 4 agreed for a quick draw in the Slav Defence, while Ibragimov 4 and Speelman 4 signed the peace treaty on the second board in an irregular opening.

Important Results Round V: Phsakhis Elo 2581 4 drew with Smirin I Elo 2671 4; Ibragimov Elo 2554 4 drew with Speelman Elo 2597 4; Baburin A Elo 2593 4 drew with Golod V Elo 2568 4; Rehman Zia Elo 2461 3.5 drew with Lalich B Elo 2550 3.5; Kunte A Elo 2465 3.5 drew with Van Dan Doel Eric Elo 2528 3.5.