PINAKI MAJUMDAR
Jamshedpur, Sept 13: The Tata Steel Asian Junior Open and Girls Chess Championship 2023 entered an exhilarating phase, as participants faced the challenge of double rounds in a single day.
Round 5 witnessed pivotal moments in both the Open and Girls Category, with Indian players staging remarkable comebacks. The ceremonial first move of the day was done by Rituraj Sinha, managing director, Tata Steel Utilities & Infrastructure Services Limited.
In the Open Category, Indian International Master Srihari L R achieved a significant victory against Sri Lankan International Master Ranindu Dilshan. On the second board, International Master Grebnev Aleksey outplayed International Master Gilbert Elroy, while on the third board, Rohith Krishna, playing with the white pieces, triumphed over Alekhya Mukhopadhyay.
The Girls Category saw intense battles as well. The top board featured a closely contested match between Bommini Akshaya and Saina Salonika, which ultimately ended in a draw. On board 2, Tejaswini G and Rindhiya V engaged in a lengthy battle that stretched to 52 moves, with Rindhiya eventually resigning due to an unplayable position. Board 3 witnessed Wim Nurgali Nezereke’s aggressive play against her opponent, Wadifa Ahmed of Bangladesh, leading to a resignation in just 33 moves.
After the 5th round in the Girls Category, Tejaswini G emerged as the sole leader with an impressive 4.5 points. Salonika, Bommini, Shubhi, Mrittika, Nurgali, Bristy, Kriti Patel, and Keerti Reddy share the joint second place, each with 4 points to their credit.
In the Open Category, Grebnev Aleksey, Srihari L R, Rohith Krishna, and Manish Anto took the lead, with each player accumulating 4 points.
Kushagra, Harvardhan, and Gilbert are in the second position in the Open Category, sharing the spot with six other talented players.
The Tata Steel Asian Junior Open and Girls Chess Championship 2023 continues to showcase exceptional talent and fierce competition, with the promise of more exciting matches ahead.
