By Kirti Patil
Pune: GrandMaster Abhijeet Gupta was at his sparkling best in the first game of the 60th National Chess Championship Round 1 match against Anis Sikandar of Jharkhand pocketing a 26-move win in a smooth game.
Within minutes GM Abhimanyu Puranik also defeated Devansh Singh, checkmating with ease in 35 moves.
“The position was complicated but I had an advantage throughout” summed up a happy Abhimanyu.
He also praised the Indians playing in the world cup and hoped for at least two Indians to qualify for the Candidates tournament from the world cup.
GM SP Sethuraman eased to a victory in 44 moves against Saparya Ghosh after finding one tactic after another. GM Sethuraman was in fine form, not giving his opponent any edge.
GM Surya Shekhar Ganguly, beat his opponent Mitul KH after the game was in an equal position for a long time. Mitul had kept an equal position for a long time–matching move for a move with GM Ganguly.
Eventually Mitul was low on time, and could not play the perfect moves under time pressure and GM Ganguly, used all his experience, and won in the endgame, threatening a checkmate in 1 move forcing Mitul to resign.
Earlier, the tournament was inaugurated by Chandrakant Patil, Guardian Minister -of Pune and the Minister of Higher & Technical Education of Maharashtra. Also present on the occasion were Bharat Singh Chauhan, Deputy President – Asian Chess Federation & Hon’ble Chairman – FIDE Advisory Board), Aniruddha Deshpande (Sr. Vice President—MCA), Siddharth Mayur (Working President – MCA), Shri Girish Chitale (Vice President—MCA), Shri Niranjan Godbole, (Gen Secretary—MCA), Shri Vilas Mhatre (Treasurer—MCA), Prakash Kunte, Rajendra Shidore, IA Gopakumar MS (A Grade Level International Arbiter & Chief Arbiter of this Tournament) and Deepti Shidore .
Results (First Round):
Abhijeet Gupta (PSPB)(1) bt Anis Sikandar (Jhar)(0);
Devansh Singh (MP)(0) lost to Abhimanyu Puranik (AAI)(1);
Sethuraman SP (PSPB)(1) bt Saparya Ghosh (Ben)(0);
Mitul KH (KAar)(0) lost to Surya Shekhar Ganguly (PSPB)(1);
Diptayan Ghosh (Ben)(1) bt Avigyan Ghosh (Tri)(0);
Mohitha Vakcheri (AP)(0) lost to Visakh NR(RSPB)(1);
Nayak Kumar (KIIT)(0) lost to Mitrabha Guha (Ben)(1);
Iniyan P (TN) (1) bt Vandan Sawai (Del) (0);
Mithiran A(TN) (0) lost to Vignesh NR (RSPB)(1);
Sayantan Das (RSPB)(1) bt Ganesh Tajane(Mah)(0);
Shyaamnikhil P (RSPB)(0.5) drew with Pranay Akula (Tel) (0.5);
Hardik Jha (PSPB) (0) lost to Akash G (TN)(1);
Deepan Chakkravarthy J (RSPB)(1pts) bt Arshiya Das (Tri(0);
Harshad Parulekar (MPSCB)(0) lost to Neelash Saha (RSPB)(1);
Venkatesh MR (PSPB) (1) bt Shourya Paul (Ben)(0);
Prashanth Naik (Kar) (0) lost to Anuj Shrivatri (MP) (1).a
