Sasikaran 'tricks for India

Top-seeded Grandmaster Krishnan Sasikiran has put India on the fast track winning all his three opening matches convincingly to propel himself to the top in the Asian Zonal Chess Championships in Colombo.

The squally rest day saw some of the participants of the Indian contingent indulge in sight seeing. But for the Chennai Grandmaster Sasikiran (3 points), who wants to take a shot at the 2700 mark, it was another day’s work in office.

With three other Indians adrift of him by just half a point, Sasikiran has to be wary of mid-way draws that can pull him back. Playing under the new Fide time control for the first time, Sasikiran had a sceptical start in the first round where he was under some stress.

But the uncompromising player that he is, Sasikiran ran into the groove quite comfortably and is looking ahead to the following week of tough tournament play.

For Grandmasters - Barua the defending champion, who agreed for a quick draw yesterday with IM DV Prasad and Kunte, who played a marathon 81 move draw with Peiris - it will be the Chennai Grandmaster who stands in their way for the coveted title and a place in the world championship cycle.

Kunte, who had a mixed tournament in the super strong Dubai Open last month, is more than adequately prepared for the event sans the cutting edge that Sasikiran has in the form of routing weakies.

Barua, on the contrary, is on to just his second tournament under this time control after Goodricke Open in February last, but has been very hard on his openings. For, thorough opening preparation is the key for survival in this reduced time schedule, as the first time limit will appear as a bolt from the blue in no time.

The only outside challenge that ought to have come from IM Reefat Bin Sattar saw a downslide as the Dhaka player lost both his previous rounds to be left brooding on a gloomy rest day. But Sattar is quite capable of springing a few surprises and Indians would do well to be watchful.

On the distaff side, WGM Vijayalakshmi was defeated at the hands of Saheli Barua. But she is bound to comeback quite strongly and her individual encounter with leader Pallavi Shah might turn out to be crucial one.

While Viji stayed indoors preparing for tomorrow, her younger sibling Meenakshi and Shah decided to take the plunge into the “Vesak Poya Day” celebrations, visiting the Buddhist shrines along with the rest-day picnic sight-seeing group. It is the national holiday in Sri Lanka that saw the organisers awarding a rest day today, as it marks the day when Gautama Buddha set foot in Sri Lanka.

The promising Maharashtra girl, Swati Ghate is looking ahead after the crushing defeat inflicted by Pallavi. Serious prepartion is her forte and she took the defeat as an one-off aberration.

Six rounds remain for the women, while it is eight for the men and the winner will be awarded the title of Asian zonal champion. The $2,500 event promises the men’s champ $700 and that of the women $500. The organisers have announced that there will be no sharing of the prizes.