Rahul Shetty triumphs

KOZHIKODE, March 12: Rahul Shetty of Indian Airlines won the Tal Chess Academy Fide rated super league chess tournament with a round to spar...

KOZHIKODE, March 12: Rahul Shetty of Indian Airlines won the Tal Chess Academy Fide rated super league chess tournament with a round to spare at the indoor stadium here today. Shetty drew his sixth round game with MB Muralidharan of Kerala after a long struggle and collected 5.5 points.

Muralidharan, who followed Shetty in the second position had only four points and can reach only five points even if he wins the last round tomorrow.

For Shetty the win assured the first prize of Rs 3,000, but more than the prize he would be happy to add 10 or 15 Elo points which would help in his cause of touching 2,400 and completing his IM requirements.

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Muralidharan offered stiff resistance in the Ruy Lopez opening and simplified the position to a rook and pawn ending after 57 moves.

RB Ramesh of IOC, Chennai trounced Abhimod in 40 moves of Dutch Defence after winning an exchange. In the ending, Abhimod lost a couple of pawns too.

KR Madhusoodanan of Kerala beat Saheli Dhar-Barua of Railways in 52 moves of ModernDefence. Madhu won an exchange and in the end improved it to a piece. Former Kerala champion Abdul Majeed drew with Lakshminarayanan in 40 moves of Kings Indian Defence.

RESULTS (6th round): M B Muralidharan 4 drew with Rahul Shetty 5.5; RB Ramesh 3.5 bt Abhimod 0; Madhusoodanan 2.5 bt Saheli Dhar 2.5.