Nayak, Meghana in the lead

Nayak has 5.5 out of a maximum possible six points, and is just ahead of the quintet of Anantharam, Akshay Bharadwaj, Arjun Bharat, Satvik M and Sharang MS. Anantharam lost three pawns before resigning on the 22nd move.

Meghana TC of APS Public School, Bangalore emerged sole leader with a perfect score after five rounds in the girls’ category. The defending champion outwitted Neha S Byali in the fifth round to lead Neha, Manasa HR, Andria D’Souza and Prerana Bharadwaj by a full point.
Playing black, Meghana opted for the Petroff defence against Neha’s White King pawn opening.

In an equal ending, Neha blundered her pawn and lost in 52 moves.
Results: Boys, sixth round: Anantharam RU (5) lt to Pangal Gopalkrishna Nayak (5.5); Akshay Bharadwaj (5) bt Nikhil R  Umesh (4); Aditya Pai (4) lt to Arjun Bharat (5); Satvik M (5) bt Akash K Shetty (4); Sharang MS (5) bt Rahul Gowda (4); Athreya G (4) lt to Vivekraj (4.5); Shabdhik Varma (4.5) bt Lohith BY (3.5); Yashaskar Jois (3.5) lt to Parthasarathy R (4.5); Mayank G Jain (4) drew Goutham S (3.5); Arjun Adapa (3) lt to Shet Prajwal P (4); Arjun Govind (3.5) drew Ajay SM (3.5); Sujith Ramesh (3) lt to Arvind Ramnath Iyer (4); Prakyath KC (4) bt Nitin R (3); Sudhanva Bharadwaj (3) lt to Ankith N Mahesh (4); Prabhanjan LS (3) lt to Rayan Rouf (4).

Girls, fifth round: Neha S Byali (4) lt to Meghana TC (5); Athmiya Gowda (3) lt to Andria L D’Souza (4); Prerana S Bharadwaj (4) bt Swathi Bhat KM (3); Manasa HR (4) bt Reesha Shenoy (2.5); Sampada HR (3.5) bt Sanjana R (2.5); Sharanya V (3.5) bt Panchami Shenoy K (2.5).