SANGLI, FEBRUARY 28: India’s International Master K Sasikiran held Grand Master Evengeny Vladimirov of Kazakhastan to a draw with black pieces. The top four boards witnessed players splitting the point, thus making no change in the overnight leaders position after seven rounds of the Commonwealth Chess Championship at Krishna Valley Complex on Sunday.Playing on the top board in the Ray Lopez opening, Sasikiran gained an slight advantage by winning a central pawn in the 13th move. By the 23rd move, Queens got exchanged and the game headed for an unclear position. On the 26th move, India's GM-to-be Sasikiran played Bh6, which he later confessed that he was not confident of and proposed a draw. Among the other three overnight leaders, GM Maxim Sorokin of Argentina and GM Fominih Alexander of Russia played a nine-move draw on the second board while GM S Shurat of Uzbekistan signed the peace treaty in 35 moves. India's GM Pravin Thipsay also agreed for a quick 11-move draw with the recent GM-elect Abhijit Kunte in the Pire defence game. Kunte, with white, realising his position not strong enough to continue with, offered a draw.The best game of the day was witnessed on the fifth board where Bangladesh's IM Reefat Bin Sattar won a long 72-move battle, upsetting GM Goloshchapov Alexander of Ukraine in the French opening. Reefat, white, doubled his opening advantage by exchanging his queen for his opponent's two rooks and a knight in the middle-game. Unwilling to take any chance, the Bangladesh IM took his time and played a cautious game. In the end game, with two rooks and knight verses queen, Reefat had no trouble in winning.Reefat (5), with this win, has moved to the joint second place along with GM Leonid Yurtaev, GM Thipsay, IM Kunte, IM RB Ramesh, IM GB Prakash and Surya Shekhar Ganguly. With draws being the order of the day on the all-important boards, two IM norm-holder P Harikrishna and IM Sudhakar Babu shared the point in the most creditable fashion in their respective games. The former world under-10 champion, playing on the seventh board with white, gave no chance to his opponent GM Yuldashev Saidali of Uzbekistan to plan any attack. In the Tarash opening, Harikrishna exchanged his minor pieces at the centre to leave Saidali with an isolated pawn. However, Saidali defended well in the later part and the Indian not being able to push his pieces deep into the rivals fort, agreed to split the point on the 20th move. Sudhakar Bahu held top seed GM Andrei Charllie of Russia. Coming out from an inferior opening set-up of the Nimzo Indian defence game, Babu gained equality after the Russian GM sacrificed a piece and in the queen, rook and knight ending, both agreed for the draw in 49 moves.Results (7th round): GM Evegeny Vladimirov (Kaz 5.5) drew IM K Sasikiran (Ind 5.5), GM Maxim Sorokin (Arg 5.5) drew Fominih Alexander (Rus 5.5), GM Safin Shurat (Uzb 5.5) drew GM Leonid Yuratev (Kyr), IM Abhijit Kunte (Ind 5) drew GM Pravin Thipsay (Ind 5), IM DV Prasad (Ind 4) drew GM Dibyendu Barua (Ind 4), P Harikrishna (Ind 4.5) drew GM Yuldashev Saidali (Uzb 4.5), IM RB Ramesh (Ind 5) bt Ebenzer Joseph (Ind 4), SS Ganguly (Ind 5) bt Ravi Kumar (Ind 4), WIM Swati Ghate (Ind 4) lost to IM GB Prakash (Ind 5), IM N Sudhakar Babu (Ind 4) drew GM Andrei Charllie (Rus 4), IM Anup Deshmukh (Ind 3.l5) lost to G Ibragimov Ildar (Rus 4.5), IM Ziaur Rehman (Bang 4.5) bt Safira Shahnaz (Ind 3.5), Dilip Pagey (Ind 4) drew CS Gokhale (Ind 4), WIM S Vijayalakshmi (Ind 3.5) drew R Aarthie (Ind 4), GM Gallagher Joseph (Swz 4) bt Akashraj Kore (Ind 2.5) lost to IM V Sarvanan (Ind 3.5), WIM Nisha Mohota (Ind 2.5) drew WIM Bhagyashree Thipsay (Ind 3), V Kamble (Ind 3.5) drew Atanu Lahiri (Ind 3.5), NL Kulkarni (Ind 2)bt GM Najdoski (Mec 1); IM Reefat Bin Sattar (Bang, 5) bt GM Goloshchapov Alexander (Ukr, 4); IM DV Prasad (Ind, 4.5) drew GM Dibyendu Barua (Ind, 4.5); Koneru Humpy (Ind, 3.5) lost to IM P Konguvel (Ind, 4.5).
