Mumbai Mayors Cup International Open Chess Tournament , 2008

Report Day 4

Goregaon Sports Club

Three Share Lead

The lead in the LIC and Mumbai Mayor’s sponsored International Chess Tournament, which is in progress here at the Goregaon Sports Club has narrowed down to three players, GM Al-Rakib, Safin Shukrat and Thekumar with 5 points apiece. All these players have notched up their fifth consecutive wins in this 430 player field.

On the top table, GM Koneru Humpy and IM M.R. Venkatesh adopted a ‘safety-first’ approach with a need to preserve energy for the ensuing tougher rounds by agreeing for a draw after just 15 moves in the Spanish Exchange variation.

On the 2nd table former world chess championship candidate, GM Macieja used all of his experience to quell the challenge of his less fancied opponent, IM Deep Sengupta however; the youngster was equal to the challenge and had no difficulty in steering the game towards a draw. In reply to the e4 opening, Sengupta adopted the Winawer variation of the French defense. Macieja entered into the complications straightaway by sacrificing a pawn on the 11th move to gain activity for his pieces. As compensation he was able to prevent Sengupta from castling and also saddled him with weak double pawns but, in the process most of the pieces got exchanged and Sengupta was able to maintain his extra pawn. Macieja had no option but to repeat moves and accept draw.

On the 3rd board, Bangladesh GM Al-Rakib notched up his 5th consecutive win by defeating young Indian IM, B.Adhiban in 44 moves from the white side of the Torre/London system. With a piece sacrifice on move 25, Al-Rakib exposed the black King to attack from the major pieces. Adhiban resigned when faced with the loss of Queen.

The other impressive performance was notched by the untitled M.S. Thejkumar, who shocked GM Ziaur Rehman of Bangladesh from the white side of the Tartakower system to continue the lead. GM Safin of Uzbekistan also maintained his winning streak by stopping IM Satyapragyan.

Following the leaders with a narrow difference of ½ points are top-seeded Michael Kransenkow, Humpy, Macieja and 11 other players including giant killer, B.T. Muralikrishna who continued his dream run by holding GM Reefat of Bangladesh.