Chess: Koushik becomes India’s beacon

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Girish A. Koushik took centre stage at the Ramco-SDAT world junior championship at Vijay Park here on Sunday.

The Mysore boy upset compatriot and grandmaster S.P. Sethuraman to move into joint second after the sixth round.

The day also saw the Italian Rombaldoni Axel extend his lead to a point in the open section when he scored his sixth straight win. Huschenbeth Niclas (Germany), Armenia’s Ter-Sahakyan Samvel and Hovhannisyan Robert are sharing the second spot along with Girish.

In the girls’ section, overnight sole leader Girya Olga (5.5 points) of Russia drew with Peru’s Cori T. Deysi to continue her hold at the top. Cori, Bulmaga Irina of Romania and Russian Semenova Elena follow the leader with five points each. Further behind are India’s J. Saranya and three others with 4.5 points each.

In the sixth board game between two Indians, 14-year-old Koushik faced Queen’s Indian defense from Sethuraman. According to Koushik, the game was equal midway through and Sethuraman could have tried repetition of moves, but he pressed further and lost a pawn in the bargain.

Again they went for exchange of pieces and Sethuraman lost one more pawn. In a rook and knight endgame, Sethuraman unwisely allowed exchange of the two pieces to reach a clear losing king and pawn ending with Koushik enjoying two extra pawns.

“I could have drawn that endgame had I kept the minor pieces. With an advanced king side pawn, I could have also tried for some counter play. But I blundered to allow Koushik to exchange them,” rued Sethuraman. Koushik said he was confident of his win.

“I would have definitely pulled off after Sethuraman refused to repeat moves,” he added.

Bad luck continued for Delhi youngster Sahaj Grover as he once again blundered a piece, this time in the middle game. In a game arising out of Benko gambit, Sahaj played a wrong rook move on the 19th turn to lose a piece against GM Sjugirov Sanan.

India’s favourite in the girls’ section, WGM Padmini Rout, faced her second loss in two days when she went down to Chennai’s J. Saranya, Class XI student of Velammal School, in 39 moves.

Playing Moscow variation against Padmini’s Sicilian defense, Saranya went for a premature attack and gave her more fancied opponent an early edge. But Padmini was generous enough to give back the initiative as well as a piece to Saranya when she played a wrong rook move.

Birthday girl Saranya (16) capitalised on the mistake and reached a piece up endgame.

Eight more rounds remain to be played in this tournament, which ends on August 15.