2023 FIDE World Cup: Unseeded Indians perform on expected line

Of the five Indians on view in the open section, S. L. Narayanan, Abhimanyu Puranik and Karthik Venkarataman made it to the second round while B. Adhiban and Harsha Bharathakoti will figure in the tie-break games.

File Photo: B. Adhiban in action. | Photo Credit: VELANKANNI RAJ/The Hindu

Unseeded Indians performed on expected lines when three men and two women entered the second round of the 2023 FIDE World Cup at Baku, Azerbaijan, on Monday.

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Of the five Indians on view in the open section, S. L. Narayanan, Abhimanyu Puranik and Karthik Venkarataman made it to the second round while B. Adhiban and Harsha Bharathakoti will figure in the tie-break games after contrasting results in the two-game mini-matches.

In the women’s section, former National champions Mary Ann Gomes and Divya Deshmukh advanced with an identical 1.5-0.5 margin. N. Priyanka escaped defeat after her rival failed to punish a late blunder for a second straight draw. However, P. V. Nandhidhaa lost Game 2 to exit from the competition.

On Wednesday, seeded Indians - D. Gukesh, Vidit Gujrathi, Nihal Sarin, Arjun Erigaisi and R. Praggnanandhaa - will join the action from the second round. Similarly in the women’s section, R. Vaishali, K. Humpy and D. Harika will open their campaigns against first-round winners.

The results

Open: Round 1 (Game 1): Harsha Barathakoti bt Levan Pantsulaia (Geo); S. L. Narayanan bt Providence Oatlhotse (Bot); Luis Fernando Ibarra Chami (Mex) lost to Abhimanyu Puranik; Lance Henderson de La Fuente (And) drew with B. Adhiban; Karthik Venkataraman drew with Gregory Kaidanov (USA).

(Game 2): Pantsulaia (1) bt Harsha (1); Oatlhotse (0) lost to Narayanan (2); Puranik (2) bt Chami (0); Adhiban (1) drew with Fuente (1); Kaidanov (0.5) lost to Venkataraman (1.5).

Women: Round 1: (Game 1): P. V. Nandhidhaa drew with Yan Tianqi (Chn); Yaniela Forgas Moreno (Cub) lost to Mary Ann Gomes; Marina Brunello (Ita) drew with N. Priyanka; Divya Deshpande bt Puteri Munajjah Az-Zahraa Azhar (Mal).

(Game 2): Tianqi (1.5) bt Nandhidhaa (0.5); Mary (1.5) drew with Moreno (0.5); Priyanka (1) drew with Brunello (1); Azhar (0.5) drew with Divya (1.5).