National Chess Championship 2024: Surya Sekhar beats Neelash to earn solo lead after sixth round

On the top board against Surya Sekhar, Neelash paid the price for making far too many weak moves in succession with his queen and rook in their Queen’s Gambit Declined game.

Surya Sekhar (left) moved into the sole lead after the sixth round of the 61st National chess championship at the RPS International School on Thursday. | Photo Credit: P. K. Ajith Kumar

The last of his six titles at India’s premier domestic chess tournament came 16 years ago. Surya Sekhar Ganguly is running a strong – and so far flawless – campaign for the seventh.

The top seed moved into the sole lead after the sixth round of the 61st National chess championship at the RPS International School here on Thursday. He defeated Neelash Saha to take his tally to full six points.

Aronyak Ghosh and Sayantan Das share the second position with 5.5 points each with five rounds remaining.

Aronyak held defending champion S. P. Sethuraman to a draw in 31 moves of a King’s Indian Defence game, which had an opposite-coloured bishop ending on the second board.

On the top board against Surya Sekhar, Neelash paid the price for making far too many weak moves in succession with his queen and rook in their Queen’s Gambit Declined game. Surya Sekhar is too good a player to miss such an opportunity and had his opponent in a mating net. Black resigned on the 38th move.

Important results (sixth round):

Surya Shekhar Ganguly (PSPB) 6 bt Neelash Saha (RSPB) 5; Aronyak Ghosh (RSPB) 5.5 drew with S.P. Sethuraman (PSPB) 5; Karthik Venkataraman (AP) 5 drew with Diptayan Ghosh (RSPB) 5; G. Aakash (TN) 4.5 lost to Sayantan Das (RSPB) 5.5; Arjun Adireddy (TS) 4.5 drew with P. Iniyan (TN) 4.5; Sankalp Gupta (Mah) 4.5 drew with Utkal Sahoo (Odi) 4.5; B. Vignesh (TN) 4.5 drew with Mitrabha Guha (RSPB) 4.5; Vignesh Adwaith Vemula (TS) 4.5 drew with N.R. Vignesh 4.5; N.R. Visakh (RSPB) 4.5 drew with A. Balkishan (Kar) 4.5; Raihaan Zahid (TS) 4 lost to Deep Sengupta (PSPB) 5; Himal Gusain (RSPB) 5 bt Nihal Swarna (AP) 4; N.R. Jaidambareesh (TN) 4 lost to M.R. Lalith Babu (AP) 5; C.R.G. Krishna (RSPB) 5 bt Gyana Sai Santhosh (AP) 4; Swapnil Dhopade (Mah) 5 bt Prathamesh Sherla (Mah) 4; Puneet Verma (Pun) 4.5 drew with J. Deepan Chakravarthy (RSPB) 4.5.