In the end, P Karthikeyan emerged as the winner on better progressive score in the boys’ segment at the LIC Asian Junior Chess Championship at Goregaon Sports Complex.
P Karthikeyan wins title, pipping Ashwin Jayaram at the post in progressive scores
MUMBAI: It doesn’t get closer than this, with four players battling for the title till last moment. In the end, P Karthikeyan emerged as the winner on better progressive score in the boys’ segment at the LIC Asian Junior Chess Championship at Goregaon Sports Complex here on Friday.
In the final round, all eyes were focused on top two boards. On the first board overnight leader Ashwin Jayaram was taking on IM M Shyam Sundar whereas on the second P Karthikeyan was locking horns with surprise package on the tournament, Vishnu Prasanna.
At start of the day’s proceedings everything depended, how Jayaram plays. A win for him would have given the title, a loss would bring other players in the fray.
Jayaram, playing with black, came back from the brink of defeat to draw his encounter against Shyam Sundar. But on the second board Karthikeyan had already won in 50 moves against Prasanna. Both players finished on seven points respectively, but when the progressive scores were out it was Karthikeyan who had 36 progressive points as compared to 34 of Jayaram.
A loss in the first round against Rakesh Kulkarni spelt doom for Jayaram. Shyam Sundar finished third while Grandmaster Parimarjan Negi had to be content with fourth place.
The victory gives Karthikeyan International Master title and a Grandmaster norm. “I came close to winning an IM norm during the Commonwealth Championship in Delhi. I would have finished third if I had beaten GM Abhijit Gupta but I lost, so I missed out from gaining one,” said Karthikeyan after winning his first major title. “I was playing pretty well throughout the tourney and I knew if I’m consistent I can lift the title.”
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