TEHERAN, Aug 7: Former National champion and International Master Ponnuswamy Konguvel humbled top seed Grandmaster Niaz Murshed of Bangladesh to emerge as the sole leader with three points after the third round of the Asian Zonal (3.1) Chess Championship being held at Kosar Hotel, here, today.

International Master Lodhi Mehmood (Pakistan) and Fide Master Al Hadrani Hatim of Yemen were in the second place with 2.5 points each.

In the women's section, WGM Repkova Eid Eva of Lebanon is leading the table with three points. She defeated National women's champion, Anupama Gokhale in the third round. Indian IMs Vijayalakshmi Subbaraman and Saritha Reddy are half a point behind the leader.

In a neck and neck fight in Sicilian defence, Konguvel, who played with white pieces, had no initiative in the opening phase but with clever and calculated moves, he gained a pawn in the middle game and grew stronger then on. In fact, Konguvel was up by a pawn in an exchange and his clever manoeuvring forced Murshed to resign on the 64th move.

National champion Abhijit Kunte outwitted young Iranian prodigy Ghaem Maghami Eshan, who humbled IM Lanka Ravi in the first round, in an interesting duel.

Kunte was playing white and the game reached King's Indian reversed position. Kunte won a pawn in the middle game and launched a rigorous Kingside attack forcing Ghaem to sacrifice a rook to save the king. The Iranian finally resigned on the 42nd move.

IM Lanka Ravi with black pieces defeated Omearat Adel of Syria in 57 moves in a King's Indian defence game. Lanka Ravi and Kunte, with two points apiece, share the third spot with six others.

IM Devki Prasad drew his game against Bagheri Amir of Iran in 60 moves, while K Murugan lost to his Yemen rival Al Hadrani. Murugan under time pressure made some weak moves and lost two pawns and had to accept defeat after the 42nd move. Prasad and Murugan are in the fourth position with 1.5 points each.

In the women's section, Anupama was caught in an inferior position in the middle game of a French defence against Repkova. She lost a pawn on the 32nd move and a piece on the 38th which sealed her fate.

Vijayalakshmi who played Sicilian irregular opening outwitted her Iraqi opponent Eman Al Rufei. While Saritha Reddy beat Shabana Parveen of Bangladesh.

Swati Ghate who defeated Navabi Shirin (Iran) is in the third position with two points, while another Indian player Safira Shanaz, who was held to a draw by Paridhar Shirin of Iran, is half a point behind.

Copyright © 1997 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.