Lodhi, Shabana set championship afire

MUMBAI, MAR 14: Pakistan's Mahmood Lodhi and Bangladesh's Shabana Parveen are a total contrast in personality to each other. But both had...

MUMBAI, MAR 14: Pakistan’s Mahmood Lodhi and Bangladesh’s Shabana Parveen are a total contrast in personality to each other. But both had something common today — they upset the applecart in the Thipsay family in the Datamatics Asian Zonal Chess Championships here today.

Lodhi, who is ready to speak to anyone available and is very popular, inflicted a 61-move defeat on Grandmaster Pravin while Shabana, the demure women, who seemed overshadowed by the huge personality of her countrywoman, Rani Hamid, won in 48 moves against Bhagyashree.

While the men’s tournament has three more rounds, the women’s competition, with the last round on Tuesday after Monday’s rest, has become open.

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Bhagyashree still holds the lead but she has been joined by top seed S Vijayalakshmi (4 points after six rounds) with Nisha Mohota and Swati Ghate are breathing down their necks half a point behind.

On an eventful day, the only routine thing that happened was the 16-move draw between top seed Grandmaster Dibyendu Barua andAbhijit Kunte. Barua is the sole leader with six points (eight points) followed by Thipsay (5.5). Kunte, Saravanan and Sasikiran are chasing Thipsay with 5 points.

The day’s other action was: A draw in the V Saravanan-Anup Deshmukh clash; K Sasikiran was fortitutious in his 38-move victory over Badri Nepali. The women section also had some action. Nisha scalped Swati and Viji defeated Rani Hamid.

Lodhi yesterday boasted of having Barua by the scruff of the neck and promised to defeat Thipsay. “He is my good friend but I will beat him,” he promised an official.

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And he did it. Playing the Kings Indian defence, Lodhi played some enterprising moves but it was a knight sacrifice by Thipsay that tilted the balance in Lodhi’s favour. In the end game, the Pakistani had his bishop and knight to Thipsay’s bishop and conducted it well to relegate Thipsay to his second defeat in the tournament.

Sasikiran had blundered a rook from the Ruy Lopez opening but Badri Nepali overlooked it and lost.

Saravanan facedthe Sicilian defence and gained some advantage from his 16th move Nd5. Deshmukh, the attacking player that he is, went for a win himself by pushing his b pawn into the fourth rank. But nothing came off it. There was a slender advantage for Saravanan with one extra pawn, but the game looked like heading for a draw with Deshmukh having rook and knight to his opponent’s rook and bishop. It ended in draw after 52 moves.

Bhagyashree played the Dutch defence but Shabana gained a huge advantage with two extra pawns and her pieces having advanced into her opponent’s camp. She won after 52 moves.

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Ghate was two pawns down in a rook and pawn ending; Vijayalakshmi won against Rani Hamid in 45 moves while Sarita Reddy and Pallavi Shah played out a 48 move draw.

RESULTS

Men’s (8th round): IM Abdullah al-Rakib (2405, Bangladesh) 4 points lost to IM Zia-ur-Rehman (2498, Bangladesh) 4; IM Mahmood Lodhi (2420, Pakistan) 4.5 bt GM Pravin Thipsay (2467, India) 5.5; IM Abhijit Kunte (2455, India) 5 drew with GMDibyendu Barua (2538, India) 6; M Waqar (2240, Pakistan) 1.5 drew with Enamul Hussain (2310, Bangladesh) 3.5; Badri Nepali (2185, Nepal) 0 lost to IM K Sasikiran (2535, India) 5; V Saravanan (2396, India) 5 drew with Anup Deshmukh (2430, India) 4.

Women’s (sixth round): Shabana Parveen (2085, Bangladesh) 3 bt IWM Bhagyashree Thipsay (2235, India) 4; IWM Swati Ghate (2194, India) 3.5 lost to IWM Nisha Mohota (2157, India) 3.5; IWM S Vijayalakshmi (2329, India) 4 bt IWM Rani Hamid (2150, Bangladesh) 1.5; IWM N Sarita Reddy (2231, India) 3 drew with IWM Pallavi Shah (2230, India) 1.5.

Final Round Pairing: Pallavi Shah vs Shabana Parveen; Rani Hamid vs Sarita Reddy; Nisha Mohota vs Vijayalakshmi; Bhagyashree Thipsay vs Swati Ghate.