Thipsay upsets top seed

Thipsay upsets top seed
Leeladhar Singh

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, Kazakhstan'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 King's Indian Defence game, as the Indian committed a blunder in time-trouble and fell prey.

Vladimirov is joined by two overseas GMs -- 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).