Delhi Chess: Narayanan, Abhijeet share spoils in round 6

Indian GMs SL Narayanan and Abhijeet Gupta played out a tense draw in round six of the Delhi International Open while Anandbatla Satvik clinched the Category B title here on Tuesday. Satvik emerged champion with an outstanding 9/10, outshining a strong field of over 800 players. He takes home Rs 4 lakh, the highest-ever first prize for an amateur chess event in India.

Sundram Kumar and Shaikh Sohil claimed second and third place, winning Rs 3 lakh and Rs 2 lakh respectively. Meanwhile, in the marquee Category A section, Narayanan and Abhijeet played out a draw. Entering the day in strong form, both players showcased high-level positional manoeuvring, with neither able to break through.

The half-point apiece keeps them firmly in contention as the title race heats up heading into the final four rounds. In another highly anticipated contest, GM Vitaly Sivuk (Sweden) and GM Alexei Fedorov (Belarus) also drew their match, preserving their unbeaten records and joining the pack tied at 5 points out of 6.

Also sharing the spoils were GM Diptayan Ghosh and IM Neelash Saha, further contributing to a leaderboard defined by razor-thin margins. With no clear frontrunner, the Delhi Chess competition remains wide open, with multiple Grandmasters within striking distance of the crown. PTI