Teenager Visakh upsets GM Farrukh for joint lead at chess meet

Teenager Visakh N R shocked Tajikistan Grandmaster Farrukh Amonatov in a five-hour marathon to join Indian compatriot GM Diptayan Ghosh at the top of the leader board at the end of the 9th round of the Mumbai Mayor International Open Chess Tournament today.
Visakh and Ghosh, who drew today with Russian GM Boris Grachev, had 7.5 points apiece and were hotly pursued by four players sharing the second spot - Graschev, and Indian IMs Girish Koushik and Vikramaditya Kulkarni - half a point behind.
R R Laxman and Swapnil Dhopade, who drew against one another, were in joint third place with 6.5 points.

The game between 17-year-old Visakh and his Tajikh rival saw the Indian grabbing a good position with a knight for a rook.
With regular exchange of pieces the youngster got an opposite colour bishop ending, with 2 extra pawns. With an unstoppable passed pawn Amonatov had no choice but to accept his defeat in 57 moves.
Another key clash between overnight leader Ghosh and Russian GM Boris Grachev started in the Sicilian defense and ended in an early draw with just 27 moves on the board, as both the players played safe avoiding any risks.

GM Evgeny Gleizerov of Russia had a narrow escape against Himal Gusain in the Queen's Gambit Declined variation.

Gusain maintained pressure on the king side of Gleizerov from the 10th move but failed to convert it as the moves repeated on the board and he had to settle for a draw.
Leading results: GM Diptayan Ghosh drew with GM Boris Grachev (RUS); IM Visakh N R bt GM Farrukh Amonatov (TJK); GM Evgeny Gleizerov (RUS) drew with Himal Gusain; GM Laxman R R drew with GM Swapnil S Dhopade; IM Vikramaditya Kulkarni bt IM Shyam Nikhil P; IM Girish Kaushik bt Prajesh R.