India National Chess: Deep Sengupta Leads after R6

Hello chess blog friends, one of the strongest national chess championships is being played in India. Deep Sengupta has beaten IM Swayams Mishra to take the lead with 4.5 points after six rounds. The former under-12 world chess champion forged ahead even as overnight joint leaders MR Lalith Babu lost to Sahaj Grover and SP Sethuraman had a rest day. GM Deepan Chakkaravarthy is trailing by half a point. 

 

The thirteen player round robin tournament has an average of 2487, a category 10 event. Deep was slow and steady in developing his pieces against IM Swayams Mishra of Odisha in Slav defence game. After gaining an exchange Deep’s march past of the a- pawn towards eighth rank prompted Swayms to resign the game. Young Delhi grandmaster Sahaj Grover was in his elements, when he over powered GM Lalith Babu of PSPB in a Queens Indian defence game. Playing White, Lalith broke open his opponent’s king side, preventing Sahaj from castling. Sahaj retaliated by sacrificing a bishop to tear open Lalith’s king side. Lalith resigned on 34th move, realising the danger of getting checkmated. 

In a Kings Indian defence, Deepan sacrificed his bishop to obtain a better position on the king side, leading to a chain if three connected pawns at the centre, against VAV Rajesh of TN. Rajesh had to forego his queen for a rook. Rajesh fought valiantly in a rook and pawns vs queen ending, but in vain. Deeapn triumphed after 79 moves.

Two-time national champion GM Abhijit Kunte beat P. Karthikeyan in just 20 moves. Former under-14 world chess champion Vidit Santosh Gujrathi had to be content with a draw against IM P. Shyam Nikil in a Grunfeld defence in 35 moves. RR Laxman and PDS GIrinath agreed to a quick draw. Tomorrow is a rest day. 

Update via FIDE

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