India's Winning Run Hits Brakes At Chess Olympiad's Third Round

CHENNAI: India's victorious run in the 41st World Chess Olympiad in Norway came to a halt with both its teams - open and women - splitting the points with their lower seeded opponents.

The Indian open team tasted its first victory on the second board. Playing with white pieces, GM S.P.Sethuraman in outplayed Italian GM Alberto David in 35 moves.

On the top board, 22-year-old Italian Grandmaster and world number three Fabiano Caruana (2,801 elo points) showed his mastery thoroughly outplaying Indian GM Parimarjan Negi in 57 moves.

Playing the Ruy Lopez opening with white pieces, Caruana went for exchange of queens on the eighth move itself spoiling Negi's castling chances.

It was evident that the Italian was intent on exchanging the pieces and go in for the end game at the earliest. Slowly, the play went out Negi's grasp.

The Indian team's highest rated player K.Sasikiran on the third board drew the game against lower rated GM Daniele Vocaturo on 73rd move.

On the last board, GM B.Adhiban battled against GM Sabino Brunello who had a slightly better positional play. However in the end, both the players split the points at the end with the Indian having just his king and rook on the board and the Italian having his king and knight.