GM Diptayan Ghosh maintained the momentum and good form to defeat IM Shyam Nikhil and emerge sole leader at the end of the 7th round of the Mumbai Mayor International Open Chess Tournament 2016, presented by Zee Learn Ltd and co-sponsored by LIC and Ankit Gems, at Mount Litera School International in BKC.
GM Diptayan Ghosh in action during his 7th round of the Mumbai Mayor International Open Chess Tournament .
GM Ghosh leads with 6.5 points, followed by the 2nd seed, GM Grachev Boris (ELO 2639) of Russia, Himal Gusain of India and Amanatov Farrukh (ELO 2614) of Tajikistan with 6 points.
Overnight joint leaders Diptayan and P Shyam Nikhil faced each other on the top board in a much anticipated clash. On the 29th move Shyam offered a rook to expose the king of his opponent, but Diptayan refused it with a plan to trap his opponent’s queen, which he succeeded inn doing. In the end game Diptayan showed his class and won the game in 60 moves.
On the 4th board, Himal Gusain had to face Maharasthra’s Sammad Shete. The game which started in closed variation of Spanish was going equal till the 35th move. Sammad sacrificed his bishop to expose Himal’s king but failed miserably and lost the game to Himal in 47 moves.
Russian GM Boris Grachev opted for the semi Slav defense against Pune IM Abhishek Kelkar (ELO 2394). On the 12th move Abhishek sacrificed his bishop for the h pawn, but failed to convert it into a decisive advantage and had to accept defeat in 52 moves.
On the 3rd board Amanatov Faruukh had a easy win against Shailesh Dravid of Nagpur. Faruukh won a bishop on the 22nd move which left Shailesh no choice but to resign on the 29th move.
Results
GM Ghosh Diptayan 2562 bt IM Shyaamnikhil P 2415; GM Grachev Boris (RUS) 2639 bt IM Abhishek Kelkar 2394; Amonatov Farrukh (TJK) 2614 bt Shailesh Dravid 2171; IM Visakh N R 2400 drew with Swapnil S. Dhopade 2504; Gusain Himal 2440 bt Sammed Jaykumar Shete 2256; IM Kulkarni Vikramaditya 2278 bt GM Rahman Ziaur (BAN) 2521; FM Raghunandan Kaumandur Srihari 2295 drew with GM Gagare Shardul 2509; GM Gleizerov Evgeny (RUS) 2506 bt FM Ahmed Sk. Nasir (BAN) 2319; IM Saptarshi Roy 2435 bt Akash P C Iyer 2257; WIM Ivana Maria Furtado 2090 drew with IM Krishna C R G 2411