GIRISH KOUSHIK IN JOINT LEAD WITH HOVHANNISYAN
Zee News
Aug 10, 2011
India
Chennai: FIDE Master Girish A Koushik of India shot into the joint
lead with Armenian Grandmaster Robert Hovhannisyan with seven points,
defeating GM Nils Grandelius of Sweden at the end of eighth round of
the 50th World Junior Chess Championships.
With this win, Girish has earned a nine game GM norm from this event
and is well placed to annex the title.
On the top table, Hovhannisyan scored a fluent win over erstwhile
leader Italian IM Axel Rombaldoni to reach the joint lead with Girish.
Despite the loss, Rombaldoni has gained a 9 game GM norm.
Girish, a former World Under 10 Champion, played white and faced
the Grunfeld defence of Grandelius. He employed the classical system
favoured by greats like Botvinnik. He opted for a very sharp system
in the opening, keeping his king in centre and storming the opponent
king. Grandelius sacrificed an exchange and forced an exchange
of queens.
In the late middle game stage, it seemed Grandelius had clear advantage
on queenside. But Girish slowly wove in Black king. When Granelius
faltered on the 28th move, Girish activated his king to set up yet
another mating pattern from which Black could not escape.
Faced with unavoidable checkmate, Grandelius resigned on the 34th
move to hand over a full point, GM Norm and the lead to Koushik.
Indian GM B Adhiban scored a win over Polish IM Piorun Kacper. He
has moved to six points to be on third spot.
In the 29th World Junior Girls Championship, WGM Cori T Deysi of Peru
shot into lead with seven points with a fluent win over WIM Mammadova
Gulnar Marfat Qizi of Azerbaijan.
Cori employed her favourite French defence and adopted the Winawer
variation. Mammadova, playing white, side-stepped the mainlines to
enter a sideline. But Cori played a sharp pawn advance to gain the
initiative. Mammadova played a rash Knight move expoited by Cori to
gain two pieces for a Rook.
Cori outclassed her opponent in 33 moves.
In the second table, erstwhile leader WGM Girya Olga of Russia scored
a hard fought 72 move win over Kulon Klaudia of Poland to join Cori
in the lead with seven points.
The Indian hope in this section, WGM Padmini Rout scored a resounding
win over Russian Julia Dogodkina. Padmini faced the Philidor opening
adopted by her opponent and using her space advantage to good effect,
crashed open the centre.
Faced with multiple threats and huge loss of material, the Russian
girl resigned on the 23rd move. With this win, the Indian girl is
on 5.5 points and is slowly gaining her momentum back towards the
podium finish.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress