Second IM norm for Kidambi

Scarborough (England), Aug 12: India's junior National champion Sundararajan Kidambi capped his brilliant run in the current European tou...

Scarborough (England), Aug 12: India’s junior National champion Sundararajan Kidambi capped his brilliant run in the current European tour by claiming his second International Master norm in the ninth round of the British Open Chess championship here.

The 16-year-old student of Padma Seshadri Bala Bhavan, Chennai, who made his first IM norm at the Biel International chess tournament a fortnight ago in Switzerland, beat English IM Simon Williams, average rating 2392, to glean 5.5 points from nine games and make his second IM norm in a row yesterday.

Kidambi’s achievement brought cheers to the contingent on a mixed day for the Indians which saw top-seeded Grandmaster Hodgson of England cement his hold on the title with a superb victory against Bangladesh’s IM Zia-ur Rahman.

Story continues below this ad

A crushing Kingside attack against Rahman helped Hodgson (8) consolidate his lead to 1.5 points and the English GM looks set to win the tournament with a record margin.

With just two rounds to go, a comfortable lead over the fieldshould virtually guarantee Hodgson the title.

Among the other Indians in the fray, Kidambi’s playing partner and senior National champion K Sasikiran fretted away his advantage to share the point with IM Gormally. GM Pravin Thipsay (5.5) went down fighting to English GM Emms.

A fine victory over IM Miroslav Houska brought IM Abhijit Kunte (6) back into the reckoning for a place in the prize list. World under-12 champion Koneru Humpy defeated Niel Berry (3) to move to 4.5 points.

Story continues below this ad

The other two Indian women players returned mixed results. IWM Anupama Gokhale (4) defeated A Cooper (3) while fellow IWM Bhagyashree Thipsay (3) lost to J Rudd.

IM V Saravanan was held to draw by S Haslinger and both were tied on 5.5 points with several players including Kidambi.

Sasikiran faced the Grunfeld defence against Gormally, who played with black pieces. In a complicated middle-game typical of this opening, Sasikiran developed a dangerous looking initiative when he had a passed pawn on the D5 square.

Thoughblack’s knight was poorly placed on the a6 square, Gormally found a tactical move that enabled him to simplify the game into a drawn double rook ending.

Story continues below this ad

In a well fought game between two Grandmasters, Thipsay sacrificed a pawn in the middlegame arising out of a Ruy Lopez Chigorin variation. He had the advantage of the bishop pair and an attack against white’s pawn centre as compensation.

However, capturing F5xe4 at the wrong moment allowed Emms to activate his knight and create a dangerous passed pawn on the B file, which proved fatal for the Indian GM.