World Junior: Girish leads with maiden GM norm 2732 performance

The SDAT–RAMCO 50th World Junior & 29th Junior Girls Chess Championships 2011 This event is taking place from August 1st to 16th at the Hotel Vijay Park in Chennai, India. It is one of the strongest WJCC ever, featuring over 80 titled players among the juniors and girls. Top seeds in the Open Section are Russian GMs Maxim Matlakov (2632) and Sanan Sjugirov (2629), Spanish GM Ivan Salgado Lopez (2626) and fifteen more GMs. In the Girls' Section there are five WGMs led by Nazi Paikidze (2416, GEO), Anastasia Savina (2398, RUS), Deysi Cori (2376, PER), Olga Girya (2371, RUS) and Rout Padmini (2348, IND).

Round seven

Girish A Koushik made the big news as he defeated second seed Russian Sanan Sjugirov, to record a hat-trick of wins against grandmasters. This took him to the second spot, half a point behind tournament leader Axel Rombaldini of Italy. The Italian IM shed his first half a point in the tournament against Armenian GM Ter-Sahakyan Samvel, but still maintains his lead with 6.5 points from seven rounds.

Following Girish, Maharashtra lad Vidit Santosh Gujrathi defeated higher rated Russian GM Aleksandr Shimanov, delivering the second big upset of the day. Vidit played a miniature masterpiece of just 23 moves.

In the girls section, the lead remained unchanged, with WGM Olga Girya holding WIM Irina Bulmaga to a draw. The marathon game lasted five hours and 69 moves, but Olga hung on gamely and snatched a crucial half point. The draw keeps the Russian on the top of the table together with WGM Cori T Deysi from Peru at 6.0 points. The Indian girls were all huddled in the 4.5 points: Rout Padmini, Saranya Bhakti Kulkarni, Chandika Divyasree, P.V. Nandhidhaa.

Round 7 Results (Open, Indians unless specified)
Rombaldoni Axel (ITA) 6.5 drew with Ter-Sahakyan Samvel(ARM) 5.5, Huschenbeth Niclas (GER) 5 lost to Hovhannisyan Robert (ARM) 6, Sjugirov Sanan (RUS) 4.5 lost to Girish A Koushik (6), Robson Ray (USA) 5 drew with Rasulov Vugar Ural Oglu (AZE) 5, Swiercz Dariusz (POL) 5 drew with Piorun Kacper (POL) 5, Grandelius Nils (SWE) 5.5 beat Swayams Mishra (4.5), Lalith Babu M R (4) lost to Matlakov Maxim (RUS) 5, Goganov Aleksey (RUS) 4 lost to Salgado Lopez Ivan (ESP) 5, Shimanov Aleksandr (RUS) 4 lost to Vidit Santosh Gujrathi (5), Stany G A (4) lost to Nabaty Tamir (ISR) 5, Shyam Nikil P (4) lost to Adhiban B (5), Martinovic Sasa (CRO) 4.5 drew with Anwesh Upadhyaya (4.5), Durarbeyli Vasif (AZE) 5 beat Getz Nicolai (NOR) 4

Still in the lead with a miracle start of 6.5/7 points: Italian IM Axel Rombaldoni

Round 7 Results (Girls, Indians unless specified)
Bulmaga Irina (ROU) 5.5 drew with Girya Olga (RUS) 6, Cori T Deysi (PER) 6 beat Saranya J (4.5), Mammadova Gulnar Marfat Qizi (AZE) 5.5 beat Semenova Elena (RUS) 5, Kulon Klaudia (POL) 5.5 beat Kazimova Narmin Nizami Qizi (AZE) 4.5, Paikidze Nazi (GEO) 5 beat Vo Thi Kim Phung (VIE) 4, Agrest Inna (SWE) 5 beat Savina Anastasia (RUS) 4, Tokhirjanova Hulkar (UZB) 4.5 drew with Ozturk Kubra (TUR) 4.5, Dogodkina Julia (RUS) 5 beat Nakhbayeva Guliskhan (KAZ) 4, Padmini Rout (4.5) beat Fataliyeva Ulviyya Hasil Qizi (AZE) 3.5, Tsatsalashvili Keti (GEO) 3.5 lost to Nandhidhaa P V (4.5)

Round eight

The dream run of Koushik Girish continued as he defeated SM Nils Grandelius, scoring his fourth successive win against a grandmaster. At 7.0/9 points Girish now shares the lead with GM Robert Hovhannisyan of Armenia and has achieved his maiden grandmaster norm in the process.

FM Koushik Girish in the lead and with a maiden GM norm and a 2732 performance. 14-year-old Koushik is trained by his father, Arun Koushik, who gave up his business to devote time and money to his protege son.

In April Koushik won the Karnataka State U14 Championship in Bangalore

Italian IM Rombaldoni lost his first game of the event to Hovhannisyan. Despite this defeat Rombaldoni has achieved a nine-game GM norm. He now shares the third spot at 6.5 points, along with Ter-Sahakyan Samvel (Armenia).

In the girls section WGMs Cori T Deysi (Peru) and Girya Olga (Russia) shared the lead with 7.0/9 points, scoring over Mammadova Gulnar Marfat Qizi (Azerbaijan) and Kulon Klaudia (Poland) respectively. The third spot is shared by Bulmaga Irina (Romania) and Elena Semenova (Russia) at 6.0 points.

The Indian challenge, lead by WGM Rout Padmini, looked up as the Orissa girl scored a quick victory over over Julia Dogodkina (Russia). Further down WFM Kulkarni Bhakti was held to a draw by fellow Indian Chandika Divyasree. Joining the duo at 5.0 points were Indian youngsters Ivana Maria Furtado and P Michelle Catherina.

Round 8 Results (Open, Indians unless specified)
Hovhannisyan Robert (ARM) 7 beat Rombaldoni Axel (ITA) 6.5, Girish A Koushik (7) beat Grandelius Nils (SWE) 5.5, Matlakov Maxim (RUS) 5 lost to Ter-Sahakyan Samvel (ARM) 6.5, Nabaty Tamir (ISR) 5 lost to Durarbeyli Vasif (AZE) 6, Vidit Santosh Gujrathi (5.5) drew with Robson Ray (USA) 5.5, Rasulov Vugar Ural Oglu (AZE) 5 lost to Swiercz Dariusz (POL) 6, Adhiban B (6) beat Piorun Kacper (POL) 5, Sjugirov Sanan (RUS) 5 drew with Kovalev Vladislav (BLR) 5, Gireman Ja (4.5) lost to Martinovic Sasa (CRO) 5.5, Pap Gyula (HUN) 5 drew with Swayams Mishra (5), Anwesh Upadhyaya (5) drew with Krejci Jan (CZE) 5, Salem A R Saleh (UAE) 5 drew with Firat Burak (TUR) 5, Nitin S (4.5) lost to Shyam Sundar M (5.5), Urkedal Frode (NOR) 5.5 beat Janev Tihomir (BUL) 4.5, Priyadharshan K (4) lost to Shimanov Aleksandr (RUS) 5, Kunal M (5) beat Goganov Aleksey (RUS) 4,S L Narayanan (5) beat G A Stany (4)

Round 8 Results (Girls, Indians unless specified)
Mammadova Gulnar Marfat Qizi (AZE) 5.5 lost to Cori T Deysi (PER) 7, Girya Olga (Russia ) 7 beat Kulon Klaudia (POL) 5.5, Paikidze Nazi (GEO) 6 drew with Bulmaga Irina (ROU) 6.5, Padmini Rout (5.5) beat Dogodkina Julia (RUS) 5, Kulkarni Bhakti (5) drew with Chandika Divyasree (5), Saranya J (4.5) lost to Kazimova Narmin Nizami Qizi (AZE) 5.5, Ozturk Kubra (TUR) 5.5 beat Romero Echeverria Abigail(ECU) 4.5, Nandhidhaa P V (4.5) lost to Lkhamsuren Uuganbayar (MGL) 5.5, Nakhbayeva Guliskhan (KAZ) 4.5 drew with Pon N Krithika (4.5), Bharathi R(4) lost to Hoang Thi Nhu Y (VIE) 5, Terao Juliana Sayumi (BRA) 5 beat Hema Priya N (4)

Top rankings after eight rounds: Open – Girls

Double attacks, races, winning zones and more

An endgame lesson from round four, by GM Karsten Müller

Links Official tournament site All games in zipped PGN: Open – Girls A selection of games are being broadcast live on the official web site and on the chess server Playchess.com. If you are not a member you can download a free Playchess client there and get immediate access. You can also use ChessBase 11 or any of our Fritz compatible chess programs.

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