Indian men score a facile victory; women falter

India's men's team scored a comprehensive 3-1 victory over the United States but their women went down 0.5-2.5 to Moldova in the fourth round of the 34th Chess Olympiad being played in Istanbul.

The men's team, with 11.5 points from four rounds are placed joint sixth behind leaders Germany (13.5), Israel (12.5), Russia, Brazil and Ukraine (12 each), while the women are placed 11th with 7.5 points. Georgia lead the women's competition with 10 points from four rounds.

In the men's section, Germany shot into the lead on 13.5 points by outplaying other overnight leaders Hungary with a 3-1 margin.

In the women's section favourites China slipped to second position behind Georgia after conceding a 1.5-1.5 draw against the Netherlands.

The Indians dropped IM Harikrishna and Surya Sekhar Ganguly for the fourth round. On the top board Grandmaster Sasikiran proved once again that he has it in him to take on any opposition. Playing white, the Indian stalwart opened with the Larsen opening and caught GM Alexander Shabalov off guard on the kingside soon after the opening.

Shabalov pushed his central pawns in the middlegame in trying to contain the activity of whites forces but Sasikiran manoeuvred his knight to the centre and gained space advantage. The queen bishop file became most important for both and Sasikiran controlled it better to finally invade the opponent territory with decisive threats.

Abhijit accounted for GM Gregory Kaidanov in a technical game with white pieces on the second board.

On the third board GM Dibyendu Barua drew with GM Alex Yermolinsky and consolidated the lead given by Sasikiran.

Playing white Barua faced the Scheveningen Sicilian and got a slight advantage in the middlegame.

However, routine exchanges of pieces at regular intervals witnessed the advantage slipping from Barua's hand and the game soon entered a rook and pawns endgame. The players signed the truce after 44 moves.

IM D V Prasad drew with GM Nick Difirmian on the fourth board to register an emphatic victory for the Indians.

In the women's section WGM Vijayalakshmi salvaged some pride with another good performance on Wednesday.

Playing with black pieces, the Chennai girl held Almira Scripchnko Lautier to a draw.

In the Scotch game routine theoretical manoeuvres followed and Vijayalakshmi equalised quite comfortably.

Almira tried to venture into complications but some fine positional moves enabled Vijayalakshmi to trade most of the pieces and enter a perfectly balanced endgame. The draw was agreed to after 54 moves.

M Sheremetieva gave Moldova an early lead by outsmarting Saheli Barua. Saheli caught herself in a tactical web in trying to go for an all out attack against the king.

A timely retreat of forces by Sheremetieva gave her ample counter-chances on the queenside. To complicate further Saheli sacrificed a piece but did not get the desired counterplay to prove her material deficit.

Sheremetieva exchanged the queens with right defensive moves and won the endgame easily.

On the third board IWM Pallavi Shah went down to M Agababean in a Trompowvsky attack game with black pieces. The game transposed to a position akin to the Samisch variation of the king's Indian where Pallavi appeared at sea in the middlegame.

Her counter attempts on the queenside were dealt with in copybook fashion by Agababean who leads Pallavi by more than 200 points in the FIDE rating list.

The game came to a sad end from India's perspective when Agababean's queen and rook penetrated the kingside to deliver checkmate after 42 moves.