Paragua downs Debashis

Filipino Grandmaster Mark Paragua defeated Indian International Master Debashis Das in the ninth round and joined countrymen Oliver Barbosa and Gomez John Paul to share the lead with seven and half points in the 10th Parsvnath International Grandmasters chess tournament at Ludlow Castle Sports Complex here on Saturday.

Barbosa and Gomez Paul settled for a draw against Russian Grandmaster Evgeny Gleizerov and International Master Shyam Nikil to maintain their top position.

Kolkata's Diptayan Ghosh achieved his first International Master norm after signing peace treaty with world under-12 gold medalist Karthikeyan Murali in the ninth round while Zeng Chongsheng of China lost against Indian International Master Lalith Babu but secured his International Master norm.

Important results (Round IX, Indians otherwise stated): GM Barbosa Oliver (Phi, 7.5) drew GM Evgeny Gleizerov (Rus, 7); IM Shyam Nikil (7) drew GM Gomez John Paul (Philippines, 7.5); IM Rathnakaran K (7) drew GM Andrei Deviatkin (Russia, 7); GM Mark Paragua (Phi, 7.5) bt IM Debashis Das (6.5); GM Abhijit Kunte (6.5) drew IM Swapnil Dhopade (6.5); IM Anwesh Upadhyaya (6) lt to IM Kiril Kuderinov (Kazakhstan, 7); GM Deepan Chakkravarthy (7) bt IM Himanshu Sharma (6); Zeng Chongsheng (China, 6) lt to IM Lalith Babu MR (7); Ma Qun (Chn, 7) bt IM Karthikeyan P (6); IM Ashwin Jayaram (6) lt to IM Nitin S (7); IM Vishnu Prasanna (7) bt IM Thej Kumar MS (6); IM Vaibhav Suri (7) bt IM Konguvel P (6); IM Shivananda B S (6) lt to IM Vidit Santosh Gujarathi (6.5); FM Diptayan Ghosh (6) drew Karthikeyan Murali (6).