Deepan shocks top-seed Garayev, shares lead with Karthik

Chennai, Jan 21 (PTI) Chennai-based Grandmaster Deepan Chakkravarthy upset top-seeded GM Timur Garayev of USA to move into the joint lead with five points, at the end of the fifth round in the 10th Chennai Open Chess tournament here today.

Joining Chakkravarthy on top of the table is FIDE Master Karthik Venkataraman (India).

Sharing third spot with 4.5 points are GMs Sergei Tiviakov (the Netherlands), Adam Tukhaev (Ukraine), R R Laxman (India) and Dutchman Roeland Pruijssers, among others.

Showing aggression from the word go, Chakkravarthy played a flawless game to outplay top seed Timur of USA. The Sicilian Dragon game lasted 30 moves.

Five more rounds remain in the 267-player tournament that concludes on January 25.

Important results (round five) (Indians unless specified): J Deepan Chakkravarthy (5) beat Timur Gareyev (USA) 4, R R Laxman (4.5) drew with Adam Tukhaev Adam (Ukr) 4.5, Macros Llaneza Vega (Spain) 4 lost to Karthik Venkatraman (5), Sergei Tiviakov (Ned) 4.5 beat Hafiz Arif Abdul (Ina) 4.

Arjun Kalyan (4) drew with Ivan Rozum (Rus) 4, K Rathnakaran (4.5) beat Yuri Solodovnichenko (Ukr) 3.5, P Saravana Krishnan (3.5) lost to Roeland Pruijssers (Ned) 4.5.

Kandil Adham (Egypt) 3.5 lost to N R Visakh (4.5), Marat Dzhumaev (Uzb) 3.5 lost to Ravi Gopal Hegde (4.5), Vitaly Sivuk (Ukr) 4 beat Shantanu Bhambure (3), Tran Tuan Minh (Vie) 4 beat Rahul Shetty (3), Suat Atalik (Turkey) 4 bt Sahil Tickoo (3)