Ravi capitalises on Ramesh blunder

Former junior National champion Sundararajan Kidambi held GM Van Der Wiel to come in the prize list with 5.5 points.

Ravi played the Sicilian Alapin Variation with white and Ramesh misplayed in the opening delaying a critical `h6′ for long. This allowed Ravi to build a strong pressure on the Queenside with his two Bishops and Knights after the Queens were exchanged early on.

Ravi then penetrated Ramesh’s position with his rook on the 7th rank and won a pawn. In an opposite coloured bishop ending, Ravi showed excellent technique to win the game in 63 moves. With two consecutive losses in the previous rounds, Ramesh exited from the race with 5 points.

Kidambi played a safe game with the white pieces against Der Wiel and obtained easy equality in the opening. The Queens were exchanged early on and in a double rook and bishop versus double rook and knight ending, neither player could make any progress and settled for a draw.

IM V Saravanan faced an irregular form of Kings Indian with the black pieces and got into a slightly inferior position against J Jens.

Jens sacrificed an exchange and went for an attack and earned a dangerous passed pawn on the `a’ file as compensation. Saravanan exchanged the Queens to slow down white’s onslaught and in a difficult ending defended his ground well to draw the game to finish with 5 points.

IM P Konguvel played against unrated Hoevens of the Netherlands and obtained a comfortable edge out of the opening of Pirc defence. But Hoevens exchanged the pawns regularly and in a Queen, Rook and a minor piece position, the players agreed for a draw in 28 moves. Konguvel finished with 4.5 points.

Results: GM Tregubov (7) drew GM Gurevich (7); GM Piket (6) lost to GM Ivan Sokolov (7); GM Milov (6.5) drew GM Epishin (6.5); TS Ravi (6) bt IM RB Ramesh (5); Kidambi (5.5) drew GM Van der Wiel (5.5); J Jens (5) drew IM V Saravanan (5); IM Konguvel (4.5) drew Hoevens (4.5).

Final standings: Gurevich (7), I Sokolov (7), Tregubov (7), 4. Milov (6.5), Epishin (6.5), 6. Van der Sterren (6.5), 7. Nijboer (6.5), 8. Schekechev (6.5), 9. Piket (6), 10. A David (6),

Indian standings: 15. TS Ravi (6), 17. S Kidambi (5.5), 20. RB Ramesh (5), Saravanan (5) 30. Konguvel (4.5).