Thipsay upsets top seed

FEBRUARY 26: As the fifth round of the Commonwealth Chess Championship drew to a close on Friday, the first signs of serious and competiti...

FEBRUARY 26: As the fifth round of the Commonwealth Chess Championship drew to a close on Friday, the first signs of serious and competitive chess were witnessed at the Krishna Valley Complex, with the favourities getting into action, and separating themselves from the crowd.

As a result, lead changed hands, Kazakhstan8217;s Grand Master Evegeny Vladimirov snatching the top position from overnight sole leader Ebenezer Joseph of India. Playing on the top board, the third seed Kazakh recorded a facile 40-move win over Joseph in a King8217;s Indian Defence game, as the Indian committed a blunder in time-trouble and fell prey.

Vladimirov is joined by two overseas GMs 8212; Fominih Alexander of Russia and Yurtaev Leonid of Kyrgyzstan, each with 4.5 points. With results from the top boards fulfilling expectations, only one upset was recorded on the fourth board as Indian GM Pravin Thipsay, playing a calm and calculated game, outwitted top seed GM Andrei Charilla of Russia. Thipsay, seeded 15th here, never let go of his advantage of playing with white. After exchanging pieces in the middlegame, and with the Bishop versus two-Knight ending, Thipsay developed his Queenside pawn into a passed pawn, forcing the top seed to resign in 59 moves.

Thipsay jumped into second place with four points, and is joined by GM Maxim Sorokin Argentina, Goloshchapov Alexander Russia, Safin Shurat Uzbekistan, IM K Sasikiran and Ebenezer Joseph of India.

Important Results fifth round: GM Evegeny Vladimirov Kaz, 4.5 bt Ebenezer Joseph Ind, 4; GM Fominih Alexander Rus, 4.5 bt Ravi Kumar Ind, 3.5; GM Leonid Yurtaev Kyr, 4.5 bt Safira Shanaz Ind, 3.5; GM Pravin Thipsay Ind, 4 bt GM Andrei Charilla Rus, 3; GM Maxim Sorokin Arg, 4 bt IM V Koshy Ind, 3; Dilip Pagay Ind, 3 lost to GM Goloshchapov Alexan Rus, 4; IM Abhijit Kunte Ind, 3.5 drew GM Dibyendu Barua Ind, 3.5; IM K Sasikiran Ind, 4 bt R Aarthie Ind, 3; GM Safin Shurat Uzb, 4 bt Nirosh De Silva SL, 3; IM RB Ramesh Ind, 3.5 bt IM Anup Deshmukh Ind, 2.5; SS Ganguly Ind, 3 drew WIM Swati Ghate Ind, 3; Koneru Humpy Ind, 3 drew IM GB Prakash Ind, 3; IM DV Prasad Ind, 3.5 bt Deepan Chakravarthy Ind, 2.5; GM Gallanger Joseph Swz, 3 bt Akshayraj Kore Ind, 2.5; WIM Bhagyashree Thipsay Ind, 2 lost to GM Yuldashev Saidali Uzb, 3; IM Zia-ur Rahman Bang, 3 bt Jayant Gokhale Ind, 2; WIM S Vijayalakshmi Ind, 2 lost to Sushant Banerjee Ind, 3;Saheli Dhar Barua Ind, 2 lost to CS Gokhale Ind, 3; Tejas Bakre Ind, 3 bt Sunil Rangarajan Ind, 2; VKV Sudan Ind, 2 lost to IM V Saravanan Ind, 2.5; Sriram Jha Ind, 2.5 bt WIM Nisha Mohota Ind, 1.5; Eesha Karawde Ind, 1.5 drew with JE Kavitha Ind, 1.5; Krutika Nadig Ind, 1.5 bt Jaysree Sankpal Ind, 1; Maninder Pal Singh Ind, 1.5 lost to GM Ibragilmov Ildar Rus, 2.5; Omkar Patwardhan Ind,1.5 lost to Atanu Lahiri Ind, 2.