Sundar, Phung keep lead in Asian junior chess

CHENNAI - It was status quo in the Asian Junior Chess championship as International Master M. Shyam Sundar of India (5.5 points) and Woman FIDE Master Vo Thi Kim Phung of Vietnam (6) nursed their lead in the boys and girls sections respectively, here Sunday.

India continued to maintain a stranglehold in the boys category with Mehar Chinna Reddy occupying second spot with five points followed by eight other home players in joint third place.

In contrast, Phung was followed by WFM Nakhbayeva Guliskhan of Kazakhstan with five points, ahead of India’s defending champion and WIM Padmini Rout, Candidate Master Bhakti Kulkarni and untitled players R. Preethi and P. Michelle Catherina, all on 4.5.

Shyam Sundar scored a notable 41-move win over compatriot and fellow overnight leader IM Srinath in Queen’s Gambit while Reddy continued with his giant-killing act as he defeated IM S. P. Sethuraman in 36 moves.

The results (6th round):

Boys: Narayanan Srinath 4.5 lost to Shyam Sundar M 5.5; Priyadharshan K 4.5 drew Vidit Santosh Gujrathi 4.5; Mehar Chinna Reddy 5 bt Sethuraman S P 4; Lalith Babu MR 4.5 bt Pascua Haridas 3.5; Anwesh Upadhyaya 4.5 bt Akkozov Berik 3.5; Krishna CRG 3.5 lost to Karthikeyan P 4.5; Das Sayantan 3.5 lost to Swayams Mishra 4.5; Lokesh P 4 drew Darini Pouria 4; Nitin S 4.5 bt Arun Karthik R 3.5; Narayanan K 4 drew Ashwin Jayaram IND 3.5; Adhiban B 4 bt Tan Weiliang (SIN) 3; Gagare Shardul 3.5 drew Swapnil S Dhopade 3.5; Debashis Das 4 bt Kathmale Sameer 3; Akash Iyer 3 lost to Shyam Nikil P 4; Rajesh VA 4 bt Karthikeyan Murali 3.

Girls: Vo Thi Kim Phung (VIE) 6 bt Hejazipour Mitra 4; Bhakti Kulkarni 4.5 drew Preethi R 4.5; Nakhbayeva Guliskhan (KAZ) 5 bt Pratyusha Bodda 4; Bharathi R 3.5 lost to Padmini Rout 4.5; Michelle Catherina P 4.5 bt Khademalsharieh Sarasadat (IRN) 3.5; Pon Nkrithika 3 lost to Cholleti Sahajasri 4; Saranya J 3.5 drew A Akshaya 3.5; Tay Li Jin Jeslin (SIN) 4 bt Afshar Niusha (IRN) 3; Harini S 3 lost to Sithalatchumi A 4; Mitali Madhukar Patil 3 lost to Lasya G 4; Alavi Homa (IRN) 3 lost to Nandhidhaa PV 3.5; Shetye Siddhali 3 drew Gagare Shalmali 3; Lakshmi Praneetha K 3 drew Bala Kannamma P 3; Sunyasakta Satpathy 3.5 bt Savetha CH 2.5; Mohana Priya J 3.5 bt Ivana Maria Furtado 2.5.