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National chess championship: Smooth sailing for the seeds in the first round
The Hindu
Top Grandmasters dominate the 61st National Chess Championship with impressive wins in the opening round on August 17, 2024.
The seeds sailed smoothly on Saturday (August 17, 2024).
The opening round of the 61st National chess championship saw all the Grandmasters — 19 of them — post wins at the RPS International School.
That included top seed and six-time champion Surya Shekhar Ganguly, second-ranked Abhijeet Gupta and third seed and defending champion S.P. Sethuraman.
Ganguly, who employed the French Defence against Krishay Jain on the top board, romped home in 32 moves.
His job was made easier by a poor bishop manoeuvre by white on the 26th move, in a double-rook-and-bishop ending.
Checkmate
On the second board, Abhijeet, with white pieces, checkmated Abheek Bhatt on the 49th move with a pawn push.