Round Eight Results

Mumbai, Aug 25: In the eighth and penultimate round of the Asian Junior Classical Chess Championship on Tuesday, top seeds Pratitee Bordoloi and Mayank Chakraborty both produced wins to take command of their respective sections.

Girls' Championship

Pratitee Bordoloi, the top seed in the Girls' Championship, scored a crucial victory over FIDE Master (FM) Prishita Gupta to reach 7/8 and extend her lead to a full point over the chasing pack. Her nearest rival, WCM Shohradova Leyla of Turkmenistan, was held to a draw by WCM Dakshita Kumawat, allowing her to move to 6 points. Also reaching 6 points were WFM Mariya Kholyavko of Kazakhstan and WCM Sravyasree Bheemarasetty, with both registering important wins in the round.

Open Championship

In the Open Championship, Grandmaster-elect Mayank Chakraborty defeated Daksh Goyal to reach 7/8, strengthening his hold on the lead. His nearest challenger, International Master (IM) Artem Pingin of Russia, scored a victory over IM Vignesh Advaith Vemula to move to 6.5 points. FM Sharnarthi Viresh was held to a draw by IM Apoorv Kamble, reaching 6 points, while FM Madhvendra Pratap Sharma defeated CM Ahmet Gulbayev of Turkmenistan to also reach 6.

Earlier Round Results

The Hindu reported on the seventh round, where Pratitee Bordoloi scored a crucial win over WCM Aadya Gowda to break away from the shared lead, scoring 6/7 and moving half a point clear. WCM Leyla, who had been sharing the lead, was held to a draw by Skivamshika G., slipping to 5.5 points. FM M Prishita Gupta also won that round, defeating WFM Nivedita V.C. to join Leyla on 5.5. That same round, WFM Maryia Kholyavko of Kazakhstan and WCM Akashita Kumawat drew, moving to five points.

In the Open, Mayank was held to a draw by IM Vignesh Advaith Vemula in round seven, but the result kept him on 6 points and at the top, half a point ahead. IM Artem Pingin and FM Sharnarthi Viresh were among the players trailing him, with Pingin held to a draw by Daksh Goyal and Viresh defeating FM Ambet Hommamdov of Turkmenistan, according to The Hindu's report.

The same source described Vignesh, Pingin, and Viresh as the key challengers as the championship entered its decisive phase.

Perspectives

Girls' Championship Race

Pratitee's win over Prishtha in the eighth round gave her a full-point lead with only one round remaining, while her nearest rival, Shimadova Leyla, was held to a draw, leaving her half a point behind.

Open Leader's Advantage

Mayank's win over Daksh Goyal in the same round solidified his sole lead at 7, with a full point advantage over IM Artem Pingin in second place at 6.5. Third-placed FM Sharnath Vireesh is two points behind Mayank at 6.