Tuesday, 13 February 2007

Kozhikode in sole lead

CHENNAI: Fourth seed Kozhikode shocked top seed Chennai `A' 3-1 to wrest the sole lead at the end of the third round in the 10th National cities team chess championship here on Monday. Kozhikode, with K. Ratnakaran on the top board, leads with 10.5 points from twelve games.



O.T. Anil Kumar and Sreekumar put Kozhikode on top by defeating higher-rated IM R. Balasubramaniam and Vinoth Kumar with the white pieces on the second and fourth boards.



Defending champion and fifth seed, Kanchipuram `A', and third seed Hyderabad are in the joint second place with 10 points each. Chennai `A' (8) and Chennai `B' (9.5) teams, the top two seeds, are behind in the points table after their defeats.



A. Shankar of Southern Railway representing Kanchipuram `A' set up his team's 2.5-1.5 victory over Chennai `B' by defeating National women's `B' Sai Meera. Other three games were drawn.



Short-lived lead





Earlier, Chennai `B', represented by Indian Bank players, had taken the sole lead at the end of two rounds with a big 4-0 defeat of on Kanchipuram `B'. In the opening round, Chennai `A' lost a valuable point on top board when IM R. Balasubramaniam was shocked by 46-year-old George Daniel (Chennai `E').





Important results: Third round: Kanchipuram `A' (10) bt Chennai `B' (9.5) 2.5-1.5, Chennai `A' (8) lost to Kozhikode (10.5) 1-3, Hyderabad (10) bt Ahmedabad (8) 3-1, Trivallur (7) drew with Mangalore `B' (8.5) 2-2, Chennai `C' (6.5) drew with Mangalore `A' (7) 2-2, Bangalore `A' (6.5) drew Chennai `E' (6.5) 2-2.



Second round: Chennai `B' bt Kanchipuram `B' 4-0, Bangalore `A' lost to Hyderabad 1-3, Kozhikode bt Chennai `C' 3.5-0.5, Chennai `E' lost to Kanchipuram `A' 0.5-3.5, Ahmedabad bt Trivallur 3-1, Mangalore `B' bt Bangalore `A' 3-1, Kanchipuram `B' lost to Chennai `A' 0-4.



First round: Chennai `A' bt Chennai `D' 3-1, Chennai `F' lost to Chennai `B' 0-4, Hyderabad bt Kadapa `A' 4-0, Bangalore `B' lost to Kozhikode 0-4, Kanchipuram `A' bt Chennai `G' 4-0, Chennai `H' lost to Ahmedabad 0-4.

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