Vidit moves to 4th position, Hovhannisyan maintains sole lead

With two more rounds to go in the prestigious championship, Armenian Grandmaster Robert Hovhannisyan continues to be the sole leader with nine points.

Hovhannisyan was held to a draw by Polish Grandmaster Swiercz Dariusz on the top board. Dariusz was unable to breach the Berlin Wall adopted by Hovhannisyan.

Though he managed to win two pawns, the game soon petered out into an opposite colour Bishop ending where the two extra pawns did not matter much and truce was declared on 48th move.

On the second table, Indian Grandmaster B Adhiban was held to a draw by yet another Armenian, Ter Sahakyan Samvel.

Adhiban, though playing black, took some calculated risks in a Sicilian Taimanov and even sacrificed a pawn right out of the opening.

But the Armenian Grandmaster took the game into a Rook ending and the game soon drew the game in 31 moves. Samvel is in the joint second place with 8.5 points alongwith Polish GM Swiercz Dariusz.

Adhiban is in the joint third place with eight points alongside Vasif Durarbeyli(AZE), Vladislav Kovalev(BLR) and American Grandmaster Ray Robson.

Indian GM S P Sethuraman played a fighting game, arising out of the sharp Richter Rauzer variation of Sicilian defence against American GM Ray Robson.

Sethuraman, playing black, slowly out maneuvered his opponent to win a pawn.  But Ray Robinson fought back grimly to hold on to the position and finally held on to a draw in 72 moves.

In the 29th World Junior Girls Championship, the lead remained unchanged with the two foreign girls, Cori T Deysi of Peru and Girya Olga of Russia outplaying their opponents in the top two tables to lead with 2 points ahead of the pack.

While Cori outplayed Inna Agrest of Sweden to win a whole rook and the game in 51 moves, Girya Olga outwitted Turkish WIM Ozturk Kubra in 41 moves to tally 9.5 points from 11 games.

The second place is shared by five players, Indian WGM Padmini Rout, top seed Nazi Paikidze and WIM Keti Tsatsalashvili, both from Georgia, WIM Irina Bulmaga of Romania and Russian Girl Julia Dogodkina all on 7.5 points.

The Indian hopes for a medal in this section was kept alive when Padmini Rout outplayed Elena Semenova of Russia in a Ruy Lopez Zaitsev variation.

A fine Knight move on the 24th turn helped Padmini to win the opponent’s queen and soon the game in 33 moves.  With this win, Padmini has moved into the joint second place with 7.5 points.

Open: Swiercz Daiusz (POL-8.5) drew Robert Hovhannisyan (ARM-9), Ter Sahakyan Samvel(ARM-8.5) drew B Adhiban(IND-8), Vasif Durarbeyli (AZE-8) beat Roganovic Milos(SRB-7), Jan Krejci(CZE-7) lost to Vladislav Kovalev (BLR-8), Girish A Koushik (IND-7) lost to Rasulov Vugar Ural Oglu (AZE-7.5), Krysa Leandro(ARG-7) drew Aleksandr Shimanov (RUS-7), Nils Grandelius (SWE-7) drew Urkedal Frode (NOR-7), Vidit Santosh Gujrathi (IND-7.5) beat Sasa Martinovic (CRO-6.5), Axel Rombaldoni (ITA-7) drew Sanan Sjugirov (RUS-7) and Ray Robson (USA-8) drew S P Sethuraman (IND-7.5)

GIRLS

Cori T Deysi (Peru-9.5) beat Inna Agrest (SWE-7), Ozturk Kubra (TUR-7) lost to Girya Olga (RUS-9.5), Julia Dogodkina (RUS-7.5) drew Irina Bulmaga (ROU-7.5), Mammadova Gulnar Marfat Qizi (AZE-6.5) lost to Nazi Paikidze (GEO-7.5), Padmini Rout(IND-7.5) beat Elena Semenova (RUS-6.5), Keti Tsatsalashvili (GEO-7.5) beat Hoang Thi Nhu (VIE-6.5), Michelle Catherina(IND-6) lost to Nakhbayeva Guliskhan (KAZ-7) and Lkhamsuren Uuganbayar (MGL-6) lost to Martinez Ayelen (ARG-7).