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Kidambi bags second IM norm

National junior champion S Kidambi (5.5) secured his second International Master's norm with a well-earned victory over IM Simon Williams (4.5) of England in the ninth round of the British Chess Championship being played in Scarborough.

Kidambi got a nine games norm against strong opposition in category six, with an average of rating 2392. The sixteen-year-old youngster from Chennai scored his first 10 games norm at the Biel Chess festival just two weeks back. He needs one more norm to complete the IM title.

Top seed GM Julian Hodgson (8) increased his lead over the rest of the field by 1.5 points with a crushing victory over IM Zia Ur Rahman (6.5) of Bangladesh.

In Slav defence, Hodgson secured a bishop pair and took advantage of Zia's weak king position to win a pawn and the game in nice style.

National champion K Shashikiran (6) had a slight advantage from white pieces in an endgame arising from Grunfeld defence against IM Daniel Gormally (6.5) of England. Gormally came under acute time pressure but defended well to split the point.

IM Abhijit Kunte (6) scored an easy victory over IM Miroslav Houska (5) of England from white side of Philidor defence.

GM Pravin Thipsay (5.5) played some weak moves from black side of Ruy Lopez game against third seed GM John Emms (6.5) of England.

Emms timely broke open the queen side and pushed his passed pawn for a smooth victory.

IM V Saravanan (5.5) won a pawn in Ruy Lopez game against Stewart Taslinger (5.5) of England. Haslinger, however, made a knight sacrifice to get away with a draw by giving perpetual checks.

Asia's youngest International Women's master Koneru Humpy (4.5) scored a smooth victory over Neil Berry (3) of Scotland.

IWM Anupama Gokhale bounced back with an attacking win over A Cooper (3) of Hongkong, while IWM Bhagyashree Thipsay (3) lost to lowly-rated Jack Rudd (4) of England.

Important results of the ninth round:
GM J Hodgson (8) Eng beat IM Zia Ur Rahman Bang (6.5)
IM J Rowson (6.5) Sco drew GM P Wells (6.5) Eng
IM Shashikiran (6) Ind drew IM D Gormally (6.5) Eng
GM J Emms (6.5) Eng beat GM P Thipsay (5.5) Ind
IM A Kunte (6) Ind beat IM M Houska (5) Eng
IM Saravanan (5.5) Ind drew S Haslinger (5.5) Eng
S Kidambi (5.5) Ind beat IM S Williams (4.5) Eng
IWM K Humpy (4.5) Ind beat N Berry (3) Sco
A Cooper (3) HK lost to IWM A Gokhale (4) Ind
IWM B Thipsay (3) Ind lost to J Rudd (4) Eng

UNI